The Trials of a Cybertronian Princess
by Mariposa Prime
Summary: One-shot series from The Life of a Techno-Organic Prime. These are NOT in order.
1. Mourning

This one is a sad song-fic. I don't own Rescue Bots.

And she's 23 at this point. It is March, and the second night on Griffin Rock. Time frame: night after Under Pressure, six months after Age of Extinction, and Ratchet's death.

* * *

Mourning

that evening

I climb into the berth the Autobots furnished for me in the bunker. I've been offered a room upstairs, but I just can't bring myself to stay with the humans. I managed to eat something tonight, to keep up appearances, but it wasn't a lot. I just want to be alone.

I plug my smartphone into a speaker and turn it up as high as it goes. I don't care if it upsets the bots, as I know it did in Diego Garcia, because right now, I just have to tune out my pain, and I only know one way—music.

Got a picture of you I carry in my heart

Close my eyes to see it when the world gets dark

Got a memory of you I carry in my soul

I wrap it close around me when the nights get cold

If you asked me how I'm doin' I'd say just fine

But the truth is baby, if you could read my mind

Not a day goes by that I don't think of you

After all this time you're still with me it's true

Somehow you remain locked so deep inside

Baby, baby, oh baby, not a day goes by

I look down at my locket, open in my hand. I have a picture of Optimus on one side, and Ratchet on the other. I have the same pictures on my phone, and more, but these two are special—one saved my life, when I was abused, and the other, taught me all I know, and cared for me. He was like a father to me—we had a guardian bond—and now…

Now I'm alone again.

I still wait for the phone in the middle of the night

Thinkin' you might call me if your dreams don't turn out right

And it still amazes me that I lie here in the dark

Wishin' you were next to me, with your head against my heart

If you asked me how I'm doing I'd say just fine

But the truth is baby, if you could read my mind

Not a day goes by that I don't think of you

After all this time you're still with me it's true

Somehow you remain locked so deep inside

Baby, baby, oh baby, not a day goes by

I run a finger over the picture as a few tears fall to my pink comforter. I'm their commander now. I can't show emotion around them—but that doesn't mean I can't cry in my private quarters. I have to get back to myself, for them. I was always so happy, and cheerful, eager to learn and determined to win; now, I'm broken, and I can't let them see me so…shattered. ' _Oh, Ratch… First my parents shut me out, then you had to go and get yourself killed! Primus, I still needed you, Daddy!_ '

Minutes turn to hours, and the hours to days

Seems it's been forever that I've felt this way

Daddy… I've never called him that before—not when he was alive—not when Jazz was killed, not when Optimus died in front of me, not when Que was killed while he was sparked…Not even when Bluestreak died in Chicago.

Bluestreak. I'd almost forgotten him. My guardian, my best friend, and maybe my bonded someday. I was in love with him, and never got to tell him… Now…he's just another senseless casualty in this never-ending war. Just another mech I'll never see again, joining Prowl, Jazz, Sides, Sunny, my twins, Hide, and Aid.

Aid. I never did get the full story of how we lost him and his brothers, but he'd been my first start to medicine and science—the student became the teacher.

Not a day goes by that I don't think of you

After all this time you're still with me it's true

Somehow you remain locked so deep inside

Baby, baby, oh baby, not a day goes by

The song changes as I start to sob, clinging to an old dog I'd been given when I was nine, and using her to muffle my sobs. Oh, the bitter tears she's shared with me, over my lifetime. And I still manage to find more tears—both Cybertronian, and human. Sometimes, it amazes me, how life can be so beautiful, and so horrible, at the same time, but right now, I just wish I was with those I've lost. It's the first time I've wished that since I met the Autobots, years ago.

I'm on my knees

Only memories

Are left for me to hold

Don't know how

But I'll get by

Slowly pull myself together

I'll get through this

' _As if. I'm not sure I'll survive_ this _. My Guardian. My Daddy… Ratchet…_ '

There's no escape

So keep me save

This feels so unreal

Nothing comes easily

Fill this empty space

Nothing is like it seems

Turn my grieve to grace

I sigh heavily, giving up the sorry attempt at muffling my sobs, and simply say a silent prayer, asking God to let them leave me alone for now.

I feel the cold

Loneliness unfold

Like from another world

Come what may

I won't fade away

But I know I might change

' _Might? I already have. I don't know if I'll be able to get back to me, or if I'll have a new me. Surely I've seen too much carnage to be_ that _innocent again…_ ' I hear the door open, but keep my head down. I don't want anyone to see how heartbroken I really am.

Nothing comes easily

Fill this empty space

Nothing is like it was

Turn my grieve to grace

Nothing comes easily

When do I regain?

Nothing can bring me peace

I've lost everything

I just wanna feel your embrace

I run my finger over the picture of Ratchet in my locket, wiping the tears off the thin plastic covering his picture, before closing it and letting it fall back to its place on my neck. I start to sing softly, my voice too high for the song, as it usually is when I'm like this, but clear just the same.

Weather man said it's gonna snow

By now I should be used to the cold

Mid-February shouldn't be so scary

It was only December

I still remember the presents, the tree, you and me

But you went away

How dare you

I miss you

They say I'll be okay

But I'm not going to ever get over you

Living alone here in this place

I think of you, and I'm not afraid

Your favorite records make me feel better

Cause you sing along

With every song

I know you didn't mean to give them to me

But you went away

How dare you

I miss you

They say I'll be okay

But I'm not going to ever get over you

It really sinks in, you know

When I see it in stone

My voice cracks, and a harsh sob breaks out, this one certainly loud enough to get someone's attention—their _unwanted_ attention.

Cause you went away

How dare you

I miss you

They say I'll be okay

But I'm not going to ever get over you

I cup the locket in my hands. It's all I have left of my Cybertronian father, save the spark I saved from Lockdown. It's weak, and I can't communicate with it, so it's a small victory, and definitely _not_ the one I wanted. "Why, Daddy… Why did you have to surrender?" I feel someone sit beside me on the padded berth, but refuse to look up. I do, however, shift to my Cybertronian form. It's easier to interact with them, and luckily, my locket had been a gift from Ratchet, and shifts with me. My star Matrix, and Lantern ring, both stay on chains in my human form, and one goes to my subspace, while the other merges with my spark—my broken, aching spark.

"Sheyenne?"

I look up to the red mech before turning back to my stuffed dog. "Don' wanna talk about it."

"I wasn't going to make you."

I take a shaky breath. I'm not falling apart around Heatwave. I'm all he's got, now that his commander's off in space. We still don't know if he's ever coming back.

I cringe when the haunting words from Lockdown flood my mind, like the screams from Chicago do, at night, when I'm trying to sleep. ' _Where is Optimus Prime?_ '

Tearing me apart with words you wouldn't say,

And suddenly tomorrow's a moment washed away.

'Cause I don't have a reason, and you don't have the time,

But we both keep on waiting for something we won't find.

The light on the horizon was brighter yesterday,

With shadows floating over, the scars begin to fade.

We said it was forever but then it slipped away,

Standing at the end of the final masquerade.

The final masquerade!

All I ever wanted, the secrets that you keep,

All you've ever wanted, the truth I couldn't speak.

'Cause I can't see forgiveness, and you can't see the crime,

And we both keep on waiting for what we left behind.

I can't hold back anymore, and bury my face into Heatwave's plating as I start to cry again. Primus, but I wish I had more strength than _this_! I'm a Prime, damnit!

The music keeps playing in the background, as the leader of the Rescue Bots simply rubs my back, between my doorwings.

The light on the horizon was brighter yesterday,

With shadows floating over, the scars begin to fade.

We said it was forever but then it slipped away,

Standing at the end of the final masquerade.

The final masquerade!

The final masquerade!

Standing at the end of the final masquerade!

The light on the horizon was brighter yesterday,

With shadows floating over, the scars begin to fade.

We said it was forever but then it slipped away,

Standing at the end of the final masquerade.

Standing at the end of the final masquerade!

Standing at the end of the final masquerade!

The final masquerade!

I suddenly slam my fists into the fire-bot's plating, leaving small dents in his otherwise unblemished red finish. " _Why, Primus_? WHY!" He gasps, but thankfully doesn't shove me away as I throw myself into him with renewed sobs. "I wasn't ready to lose him, 'Wave!"

"Heatwave? I heard—What—"

"Don't, Chase."

Blades peers around the door. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." He sighs. "I heard someone crying, and found her talking to herself."

Blades pushes his way past Chase before closing the door in his face. "And your Carrier programing wouldn't let you walk away."

He sighs before glancing down to me. "Optimus told me she was excitable and happy, but she hasn't done anything to prove it since she got here."

Blades sighs. "I know what you mean. She wasn't really paying attention when we were setting off that volcano." He sits on my other side and strokes my head. "Talk to us, Shey. You'll feel better."

I shake my head before taking a deep breath to calm down. "Spark break."

The two look surprised. "What?"

"I lost my guardian, to Lockdown. The only bond I had, with anyone." I look at my hands. "I've watched friends off-line for years, because of that senseless war. Jazz, Hot Spot, Groove, Streetwise, Blades… First Aid—" A soft sob slips out at the caring medic-in-training's name. I don't even notice the mech beside me flinch when I mention _his_ name. "Slingshot, Air Raid, Silverbolt, Fireflight, Skydive, Elita-One, Arcee, Chromia, Prowl—" Another sob slips out at the mention of my stoic friend. He'd been the one to teach me of my culture, as a Praxian. "Sunstreaker, Ironhide, Mudflap, Skids—" The two had been my responsibility, and God, do I miss them. "Red Alert…" My protector, and when I'd have some kind of panic attack, my friend. "Que…" He'd been sparked. We lost two lives. "Bluestreak…" My guardian, my best friend, my first love, maybe my bonded someday. "Leadfoot, Topspin, Sideswipe, Dino, Ratchet—" I trail off for almost five minutes, just sobbing into Heatwave's plating. "Wheelie… Drift… Crosshairs… Hound… Brains…"

"But—"

Blades shakes his head before pulling me in for a hug. "It's going to be all right. We're still here."

Heatwave sighs, rolling his eyes over Blades' refusal. "Why didn't you tell us?"

I look at my lap, feeling very much like a scolded child. "Because I'm in command—Optimus _put me in command_ —and I can't let you guys see me like this when you need me to be there for _you_."

"You're still a youngling, Sheyenne. We'd never ask you to go _that_ far."

Blades sighs before laying a hand on my leg. "We're here, if you need to talk." He starts for the door. "Dani's expecting you to come with us on patrol tomorrow morning."

" _Joy_."

Blades smirks. "Not a morning person?"

I roll my eyes. "Not a _life_ person, right now. Wanna crawl under a rock and die."

Heatwave crosses his arms. "Well we're not letting you do _that_."

" _Apparently_." I sigh heavily. "I promised Optimus I'd watch over the last of the Autobots, and, though Bee's all that's left besides us, I'm not going to quit. I've got more mettle than you all think. He's been dead for six months. I'm still alive, aren't I?" I rest a hand over my chest. "I have a chance to save him, 'Wave. I'm not throwing that chance away by throwing _my life_ away."

"What?"

I look up to the Rescue Bot, a new-found hope in my eyes. "I saved his spark, from Lockdown. I've got his frame at the Shatterdome. It's gonna take years, but I'm gonna bring him back. So long as his spark's still glowing, there's a chance, however small, and I'm keeping it _safe_." I look down. "But I can't sense any more than his life force, and I don't know how long it can function like this, without a frame…"

Heatwave sighs, and runs a hand over my head. "You need to recharge, youngling. You've got to be up early tomorrow."

I scowl. " _Don't remind me_."

Blades smiles. "And I'll see if Chase wants to play chess with you sometime."

The two leave my room, leaving me confused. ' _How did Blades know I liked to play chess with the bots? He's a Rescue Bot, not a Protectobot!_ '

I lie down on my side on the large berth, and pull my covers up, leaving my sad-song playlist playing over the speaker, and my cell plugged in. I trust Blades or Dani to wake me before our patrol tomorrow.

 _Somewhere over the rainbow way up high_

 _And the dream that you dare to, why, oh why can't I?_

* * *

main space, bunker

"Why wouldn't you let me tell her, Blades? She's in there, beating herself up over _all_ the bots who raised her _dying_ , and you're going to let her think _you're_ off-line too!"

Blades looks down. "It's better that way."

"So what? So she can just off-line in her sleep like Prowl, or—"

"Optimus said he collapsed while they were playing chess. I was…" Blades sighs. "Training to be your EMT at the time."

Heatwave scoffs. "She cares for you, Blades! Couldn't you hear her? She couldn't bear losing your gestalt!"

"YOU THINK _I_ COULD!? THEY WERE MY _BROTHERS_ , HEATWAVE!" He turns away before punching the wall, leaving a large dent in the concrete, with cracks throughout. He sighs heavily. "I'm not turning my back on her." He runs a finger over the damaged wall of the bunker. "But she doesn't need to know I survived. If she did—you know as well as I do that the fact that I've lived this long is a miracle. I don't know how much longer I have before I join the Well. I don't want her counting the days until she loses another friend. I can't scar her like that. Lockdown damaged her enough." He sighs heavily before turning back to his bondmate. "I'm going to make her time here _happy_. She doesn't need to know I'm fading away." He lays a hand on Heatwave's arm. "Trust me. We need her far more than we need me." He sighs. "I'm going to hang on until she's healed, then I'll join my brothers in the Well." He looks down before locking eyes with Heatwave. "I'm sorry…"

Heatwave steps over to him before laying his hands on Blades' shoulders. "Don't—don't say that, Blades. You know we'd all do anything for you."

"I can't…" He sighs heavily. "Spark break is a killer, and there's never one of a gestalt."

"But you've survived this long—"

"Only because of you." He sighs before starting for his berth room. "I'm going to recharge. I've got a patrol early tomorrow. Don't stay up all night."


	2. Meeting the Medic

I don't own Transformers!

Mari's 14 in this one. It's the day after she moves in with the Autobots. Bluestreak's in the middle of a tour of their new base, and her passion comes to light.

* * *

Meeting the Medic

Bluestreak and I continue on the tour of the base. "Here's the medical bay. Try not to bother Ratchet. He can be kinda grumpy."

"So who's that?" I point to a white and red mech with a red cross.

"That's First Aid. He's one of the Protectobots. You'll see his brothers around. They're a rescue team, and a gestalt."

Ratchet turns at his voice. "Wha—" He notices me, and that I'm in my Cybertronian form. "Sheyenne. I hope you're settling in well."

"Yeah, I guess…"

"I'll need you to come by after your tour so I can get your stats recorded."

"Can do." I look over to First Aid again before we leave. I want Ratch to train me, but I'm so small, and I know I'd only be in the way, so I don't even bring it up.

* * *

"You're room's right here. The Aerialbots are next door, and I'm right past them."

"Thanks, Blue." I sigh softly. "Think you could show me where the med-bay is again? I'm still kinda lost."

"We'll help you until you get used to the place."

"Thanks."

* * *

I watch eagerly as Ratchet examines me, wanting to learn as much as I can before I have to leave. "I can clear you for training if you'd like, but I can't let you go into the field until you're a little older."

"Huh?"

"Weren't you listening?"

"Um…" I smile sheepishly. I'd been too busy watching him work.

"I'll clear you for training, but you're not going into the field until you're older."

"Gotcha." I slide off the berth. "Which way do I go to get to the rec room?"

"Sheyenne, you still have to live as a human, as long as we're on this planet."

"And I will—off-base. Here, it's so big that it's just better to be in this form."

"Then keep track of your energon levels. I'm not coming to your rescue if you fall into stasis lock." I start for the door. "I'm glad you decided to stay here. We haven't had a youngling not connected to our war since Praxus was destroyed."

I shrug. He's nothing like Bluestreak said. "Better than feeling like an outcast with the Witwicky's."

He laughs softly. "Go on now. Don't let me keep you."

* * *

I step out and almost step on Lennox. "Sorry, Sir. I didn't see you."

"It's all right. You're still getting used to everything." He smiles. "How did things go with Ratchet?"

I shift down to human form so I can walk beside him. "Fine. He's not as bad as they all say."

"And he won't be, as long as you don't cross him." He sighs. "I had to register you for school."

"Great…"

"There's a private military academy near here. Some of our best recruits came from there. We're sending you there. Optimus mentioned training you as a soldier, and you should know that my Rangers will have a place for you when you graduate."

"Thank you, Sir."

* * *

Rec Room Entrance

Bluestreak steps over to me with a smile. "So, how was it?"

Sideswipe rushes over. "As horrible as we said?"

Sunstreaker steps closer, studying my plating. "He didn't hit you."

I glare at the twins. "Actually, he's really nice, when you treat him right." I smile. "He didn't even go off at me when I missed what he said." I shrug when they give me a look. "I was too busy watching him."

Bluestreak pushes himself in front of them with a glare before turning to me, his expression softening drastically. "You want to train as a medic?"

I nod before looking down. "But he's got Aid to teach. How could I train with him? I'm too new. I'd just get in the way…"

"Now, don't cut yourself down, Shey. You'll get there someday. Ratch likes you. You've got determination." He leads me to a table and hands me a cube. "Here. I'm sure your levels are low."

"Thanks." I sip from the cube before sighing. "It's gonna take a while for me to get used to this."

"And we're willing to give you that chance."

"Captain Lennox wants me to start school soon, at the Military Academy."

"We'll be here for you."

"I'm sure I can handle it, Blue, but thanks." I smirk. "Besides, someone's got to get me to school, and Optimus chose you as my guardian." I smile. "I think I'll be fine."

"Hey."

I look up to see the smaller medic from the medical bay. "Hi… Um, d-did Ratchet need me for something?"

He shakes his head. "I heard you liked medicine."

I scoff. "Hard to miss that when I'm too busy watching the mech to listen." I sigh. "So, what, then? I'm too delicate to train…"

"I could start—teach you what I know." He sighs. "Just the basics. My brothers could help." He smiles. "We're right across the hall from you."

I smile weakly. "Thanks, but Captain Lennox has me starting school on Monday."

"We can start tomorrow."

"Thanks." I look up to see the room is now full. "Oh, my Go—" I look around. "I never knew there were so many of you…"

"We used to have hundreds, if not thousands, Sheyenne."

"S-sorry, Sir."

"You may call me Optimus, youngling." He turns to his team. "I would like to introduce you all to our newest resident and youngling." He lays a hand on my shoulder. "This is Sheyenne. She is the equivalent of fourteen vorns, according to Ratchet. She will be joining us in the field once she is older, but for now, she will spend her time training."

"Captain Lennox got me into the Military Academy, too. I start on Monday."

"How will she—"

"She is Techno-Organic, Crosshairs. Trust me, she is more than capable."

"My brothers and I are going to start teaching her the basics in medicine and rescue work."

"Why—"

I look up to Optimus. "He overheard me talking with Blue about wanting to learn from Ratchet, but I know I'm too delicate and untrained for the medical bay, and… I'm not sure I'll ever be good enough."

Optimus nods. "Ironhide will care for your weapons training, and Crosshairs will teach you about our tech. I will have Prowl teach you his culture, since you are Praxian." He looks over to First Aid. "You will handle her science training, since you have offered to teach her medicine. That way we may keep her out of Wheeljack's lab." He turns to three femmes. "Arcee, Chromia, Elita-One. I want you three to teach her combat training. She will need a femme to train her." He turns to Red Alert. "Since I know the two of you have befriended each other, I want you to teach her our language."

"That seems like a lot, and she's still got school…"

"I know, Bluestreak, but she needs to learn our ways as well."

First Aid sighs. "I'll start tomorrow. The rest of her lessons can wait until she's started school."


	3. Griffin Rock

I don't own Rescue Bots, Pacific Rim, or Transformers.

* * *

This one takes place the day before Mourning. Mari's first day in Griffin Rock. She's been in Hong Kong for six months, helping in the re-booted Kaiju War, as a Field Medic, all while preparing a place for Bumblebee and Optimus to stay once Optimus retuns, and forging life-long friendships with Raleigh and Mako.

* * *

Griffin Rock

6 months later (March)

I climb off the ferry, wearing a black V neck tank top with a red belt, gray slacks, red stiletto heels, a red bracelet, a black flower pendant, and carrying a red leather trench coat and a black toat. Since I lost my Guardian, I've refused to wear much color. Usually, my ring is all, but I don't want to look Goth—not until I find the people I'm searching for.

I instantly scoff when I see a police car chasing after some kind of machine. "Apparently, the cops don't have anything better to do here than chase machines." I shake my head. "Oh well. This place is safer than the Shatterdome, and I do remember hearing of a team of Autobots stationed here. Optimus told me about it before giving the others their orders." I blink when I picture the blue and white police car in my mind, complete with an Autobot logo. "Oh. Right. The Autobot is chasing the machine…" I scoff. "That makes sense." I sigh before tapping into the comm frequency. I've got the ability to control tech, and I'm the only surviving bot who can tap into comms. The only think I'm missing now is a minicon.

" _You will be compensated for any damages, citizen._ "

" _Attention, rescue team. Robo landscaper out of control! Could use a hand here._ "

" _It might be a while, Dad._ "

"So that's why an Autobot's chasing a machine."

" _Who's this?_ "

I sigh heavily. That could have gone a little smoother—more like a _lot_ smoother. "Sheyenne. I was raised by the Autobots from age fourteen. I'm an army ranger."

" _Any way you could help out here?_ "

"Not on this mission, because I just got off the ferry and I don't know anyone yet, but once I get settled in, sure!" I smile. "I'm a field medic, for both bots and humans, but I've gone into the field too."

* * *

Garage

"That's just too bizarre. They're alive, but we're supposed to ride inside of them?"

"Don't be a wimp Graham, they're just vehicles."

"Hey, I can hear you, you know."

"Hurry up, Blades, we have to go."

* * *

With Me

'Blades…' I blink back tears at the name. 'Oh, Blades… The last thing I need right now is to be reminded of the P-bots. Not…not after losing Ratch… I can't…' I take a deep breath and force myself to stay stoic. I know it's not him—I know it's not Defensor's right arm—it can't be. There's never one of a gestalt. 'But…but if he had the strength… Oh, Mari, stop it! It's hopeless, and you know it! You'll never see them again. He doesn't even sound like…' I take a deep breath, and let it out shakily. 'Like Aid's brother… He…he sounds like Aid…'

* * *

Town

"No sign of the suspect. What now, sir?" The landscaper suddenly appears behind him. "I advise you to hold on, sir." He flips over it, and grabs the landscaper. "You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can be used against you." He throws the landscaper into the dumpster. "And you will not be compensated for any damages!"

Dani looks down from the roof. "We missed it, didn't we?"

Charlie looks up to her before turning to Graham. "What kept you all?"

"Our rides wouldn't let us drive. They're slowing us down."

Heatwave transforms. "Fast enough for you?"

"Let me out. I'm gonna hurl." Charlie crosses his arms at him. Heatwave transforms and opens the passenger door. Kade tumbles out, followed by Heatwave tossing his hat out. The hat lands crooked. "Never again." He fixes his hat.

"Look, I know we're all adjusting to being a team, learning about each other, but it'll go a lot smoothly if we'll work together."

"I signed up to rescue _people_." Kade points back to Heatwave with a thumb. "…not make nice with _machines_." He storms off.

Charlie turns to me. "You're welcome to stay at the firehouse with us."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Charlie, please."

I nod. "Charlie."

* * *

Command Center, Cody's POV

" _These humans don't even realize they're on a team._ "

"Don't worry Heatwave, I'll talk to him."

* * *

Bunker Room

I change into a black long sleeved yin-yang T-shirt, dark blue jeggings, black socks, and black tennis shoes, then head upstairs. I've got my bags down here, and I can unpack whenever—maybe once everyone else settles in. I won't be able to without either a crap-load of Mountain Dew—I don't drink, but it'll give me the placebo effect—or Tylenol—again, don't do drugs—but the pain's too much to sleep.

* * *

Kitchen, Normal POV

I lean against the counter as Kade pulls a bag of popcorn out of the cabinet.

Cody walks in and leans against the fridge. "Hey, Shey!"

"Hey." I turn to the cabinet. I know I need to eat something—I haven't eaten since yesterday at noon—but I can't bring myself to. I'm just not hungry. I sigh before turning back around, but not before rubbing the center of my chest in a vain attempt to ease the pain.

"Hey, Kade, can I pop that for you?" Cody takes the popcorn and presses a button, causing it to pop. "You know, it's pretty amazing you get to be partners with an alien.

Kade takes the popped bag. "Oh, yeah, amazing, I have to ask my ride to roll down my own window." He starts for the stairs.

"But you and Heatwave have ton things in common. He—"

Kade starts up the stairs to his room. "It's not a "he", Cody, it's a truck."

I sigh as I turn to Cody. "Not going well, huh?"

"Nope." He turns to me. "Want to help?"

I shrug. "Why not? Nothing better to do."

* * *

Outside, With Dani

Cody and I look up to where Dani is climbing her rock wall. "And back home, Blades had wheels. He never flew until he got to Earth."

"That's why he is so bad at it."

Cody shrugs. "Plus, he kinda hates heights."

"Blades is my partner, he better learn to love them." She reaches up and rings the bell.

Cody frowns.

'Definitely not P-Bot Blades…' I cross my arms over my chest. "Dani, this isn't how you go about give and take, you know? You gotta give a little."

* * *

Garage, With Graham

Cody sits on top of a machine, handing tools to Graham while I watch, one hand over my chest. I'm trying the inferno now. I have to fight through the pain. They need me here. "Boulder is crazy about Earth. He wants to soak up everything he can."

Graham sits up from under a machine. "And I'd love to learn about his planet's tech." He takes a wrench and lies back down.

"See, you're the perfect team, you can teach each other—"

Graham stops working and props himself up. "Cody, Boulder is an alien from a highly-advanced society. How am I gonna teach him anything?"

I scoff. "These people are hopeless." I turn to Cody. "I'm going down to the bunker, Cody."

He follows us down the pole. "Why did you want a room down here anyway?"

"Because, I grew up with the Autobots from fourteen. I feel safer down here…"

* * *

Command Center, Bunker

I ditch Cody when I realize the bots are in their command center. Once at the door, I see Heatwave pacing in front of the screen, and the others standing back to give him space. "This isn't working, Optimus. Our partners don't want anything to do with us."

Chase holds out a hand. "Actually, Chief and I get along quite well."

Heatwave growls. "How are supposed to complete your mission to help humans, if they won't let us?"

" _I'm certain you will find the way, Heatwave. Remember, learning to communicate with humans is also part of your mission._ "

"My partner communicates loud and clear." Blades touches one of his audios. "Especially loud."

Boulder raises one arm. "Well, Cody's been trying to help us fit in."

" _Then take guidance from Cody. I have found that the young of this species are the most valuable allies. I will be out of comm range for several of that planet's years. I ask you to answer to our young Star Healer. I am sure she will bring a light to your team, as she has with us. She is quite determined, as well, and eager to learn. I would not be surprised if she rejoined me as a rescue bot herself._ "

"Make friends? With all due respect, Optimus, that's all you have to say?"

" _Not entirely. Rescue Bots, good luck!_ " With that, the comm switches off. Heatwave's left with his mouth hanging open. He sighs and crosses his arms before looking down to me.

I look up to Heatwave. I have to be what Optimus said, even if I don't feel like it. "Wave, it's—"

The door opens with a clang. "Guys— Wow, I didn't know the bunker had a secret room!"

Blades looks down to him. "How did it go, Cody?"

He sighs. "New plan. Kade, Dani and Graham don't know you like I do, right?" Blades kneels to Cody. "So, you all just need to bond."

"What does "bonding" entail?"

I smirk. "Definitely _not_ what it does for _you_."

* * *

Bunker

Cody drags the three down the elevator. "This is the amazing thing we had to see? The bunker? We've been here thousand times."

"Not in years!" Dani turns to her stuffed elephant. "Oh, I used to love to play on here." She hugs it before turning to Kade. "Remember, you get lost in the tunnels, Kade?"

Graham walks over to a game. "Wonder if I could beat my old score."

Cody backs up to the bots and I. "You're on."

"I'm going to my room." They all give me a look. "I have to unpack!"

They all start arguing. "First—"

"I don't wanna go—"

"We could go by height—"

"I let me go—"

They finally push Blades out. "Hi!"

The three turn to us in varying degrees of shock and frustration. "Really?"

"Don't freak. I invited them, too." The others step out, with me on Heatwave's shoulder. "I thought it would be cool if we all hang out together. You know, just the ten of us."

Kade storms away. "Come on, Kade. What're you afraid of?"

Boulder jumps in. "Is this an Earth game? May I try?"

Graham nods. "Sure. You pull this to start."

He breaks off the plunger. "Oh, fun! Now what?"

Blades looks at some kind of cue card. "Lovely weather we're having today, isn't it?"

Dani is sitting beside him, still hugging her stuffed elephant. "Perfect for flying!"

He leans down, almost wilting. "Or not." He glances back to the card. "Oh, do you have any hobbies?"

"Flying."

Kade and Heatwave are sitting on either side of a corner, in the same position. It's almost laughable. Kade glances to him, then stands and walks off. "I think, we're done here."

Chase steps over to Cody, Blades, and I. "That went quite well."

The alarms go off. The three older kids run over to the screen. Kade presses a button, followed by Charlie's voice. " _We have a situation on main in park. Sewers are overflowing._ "

"So call a plumber."

" _With lava._ " At that moment, one of the manhole covers blows, and lava explodes through the hole. At the sight, two cars collide. " _This can get ugly pretty fast. I need the whole team out here. Cody, get on the command center comm-link. Your siblings will need some help working with their partners._ "

"Wanna come with us?"

I shrug. "Better than moping around this bunker."

* * *

Town, Charlie's POV

Chase and I are directing traffic around the lava when Haley drives past us and into the growing pool. "Chase, help her."

Chase reaches down and allows her to climb into his hand. "Next time, citizen, please follow the rules of the road. It's not just a good idea, it's the law."

* * *

With Dani, from the Command Center

"Can you be a little more—Ow!—gentle with that?"

"Soon as you learn how to fly."

" _Dani, be nice, remember?_ "

 _"Blades, buddy, I know, this is hard for you, but you can do it. So do it already!"_

" _That's not what I meant._ "

I roll my eyes. "Duh." I pat the seat. "You'll get there."

"I hope."

* * *

Command Center

Cody turns to the screen following Boulder and Graham.

 _Boulder pushes one last concrete barrier up to the lava, then transforms before turning to Graham. "Do you think this is enough to hold the lava?"_

 _"You're right. It must seem such a primitive solution to you."_

"Graham, Boulder's not dissing you, he's trying to help.

But you gotta tell him what you're thinking, first."

He turns to the screen watching Kade and Heatwave.

 _Heatwave pulls up and transforms, then prepares to start spraying a fire, only for Kade to start with his old truck. "I've got this covered. You can move on, partner." Heatwave turns and walks away._

"Kade, you have to work together!"

 _"No time for chit-chat, Cody." Kade takes off his comm link and flicks it away. Under the truck, another manhole cover blows, flipping the truck and knocking Kade out._

"Kade! Kade! Are you okay? Kade!"

 _The lava shorts out the comm. Heatwave suddenly shows up and starts spraying the approaching lava. "You're welcome, partner."_

Charlie's face comes on the monitor. _"Cody, we've cleared up the most of the downtown, but the lava won't quit. If we can't block the leak soon, I'll need you to send out island-wide evacuation order._ "

"You got it, Dad, but let me call someone first." He ends the comm and contacts Doc Greene. "Doc Greene, you there?" Doc appears upside-down, causing Cody to smack the screen.

" _Do not adjust your monitor. I'm upside down over here, too. I'm testing my theory that I can solve equations faster when all my blood is collected in my head._ "

"Doc, is there a volcano on the island we don't know about?"

" _No, but there is one we_ do _know about. Mount Magma, built for the world's fair of 1939. That's when we invented deep fried cotton candy, you see, the sugar felt in the hot oil._ "

"Doc, how could a fake volcano spill real lava into the sewers?"

" _Well, the volcano is fake, but the lava isn't. When Mount Magma was moved here, the engineers sunk the pipe deep into the Earth's core. Pent up pressure in the core could push lava back up the pipe. But the top of the volcano is sealed, so the lava would come out wherever it could. Like the sewers. The pressure would keep forcing lava out until it covered our whole island. That would take about 4.7 hours." He pulls out a timer. "Oh, saved a full second of my calculation time! Hanging upside down really does work!_ "

"Doc, this is for real."

He flips himself right-side up, then turns back to us. " _Then you have to get rid of the lava pressure immediately._ " He climbs off his contraption and grabs a soda bottle before shaking it. " _Think of a volcano as a giant fizzy bottle. To get rid of the pressure, you open it a little at a time._ " He starts to slowly open the bottle. " _A small controlled eruption should take care of your lava problem, but don't open the lid fast or…_ " The soda explodes out of the bottle.

* * *

Town, with Charlie

Blades lowers a concrete barricade as Chase directs him. Heatwave and Boulder each place another around the sewer grate. "All right, team. Just got off the comm with Cody. He says we can stop this lava, but we have to erupt a volcano to do it."

Blades lets Dani and I out, then transforms, before turning to Charlie. "And that's the safest option?"

"It's the only option. I won't lie. Things might get hairy. If the volcano goes up too fast, we could get caught in the lava." He walks over to the bots. "I'll understand if you don't wanna be a part of this mission. It's dangerous. Griffin Rock isn't your home."

Heatwave turns to him. "If you go, we go."

Graham steps forward. "You'd risk your lives for us?"

Boulder looks down to them. "That's what being partners means."

Chase continues. "Wherever there is an emergency there are Rescue Bots. Ready to serve, save and protect."

Blades finishes. "We didn't have the chance to save our home, we won't let you lose yours."

Charlie smiles up at them. "Glad to have you on board." He turns to his family. "But for this plan to succeed, we'll all have to put aside our differences and work together as real partners. Understood?" Everyone but Kade nods. Kade steps forward and smiles, then nods as well.

* * *

Mount Magma, Normal POV, with Blades

" _You're almost there, guys. Boulder, I'm sending you with schematic of how the volcano works._ "

Graham studies the schematics. _"Yes, I see."_

" _Graham, you have to tell Boulder what you're thinking._ "

" _Oh, right. Sorry._ " He turns back to the diagram. " _Okay, from this diagram, it looks like the volcano's ON-switch should be inside the mountain nearby._ " They stop, and Graham climbs out. " _But I don't know where exactly._ "

Boulder lifts his shovel. " _That's where I can help_." He slams it down, sending out seismic waves. Graham flinches from it. " _Found it._ "

" _Whoa, you have seismic imaging?_ "

" _Of course._ "

* * *

Cody turns to the screen with Charlie on it.

 _"Head back to town, please. It's about to get hot around here."_

 _"Oh, no."_

 _"We've planned this picnic—"_

 _Chase steps up behind him. "Okay, right away."_

 _"Yes, sir."_

* * *

With Heatwave and Kade, Command Center

 _The two firemen are almost bored to tears. "What's going on, Cody? When do we get to see some action?"_

We glance at the screens. "Blades is moving into place now." We turn back to the screen with Blades.

* * *

Normal POV, with Blades

Dani lowers the wench hook. "Blades, we're attaching you to the switch of volcano's lowest setting." Graham hooks it to the switch. "When you fly up, the volcano will turn on and blast out the lava. Get clear as quickly as you can."

Dani quickly replies. "Blades and I have it from here. Shoo you two." They pull up on the switch. "We did it."

"Now, let's just get out of here."

The ash cloud covers Blades and Dani. "I can't see!"

"Blades, go higher! We have to get out of this."

"Which way is higher?"

I stroke the seat lightly. "Just relax, Blades. It's okay."

" _Dani, talk nicely._ "

Dani sighs. "I know, I know." She turns her attention to Blades. "Blades, I'm not going let anything happen to you, I know you can't see, but I can read your instruments clear as day." An explosion comes from the volcano, causing Blades to panic. "I'll guide you. You're right side up. Just take us as high as you can, it's okay if you go slow.

"Here goes nothing." He flies up and out of the ash.

"You did it, Blades!"

I lean back in the seat. "Oh, thank God."

"I did it, Dani, I did it!" His rotor suddenly jolts. "Um, excuse me. I think my rotor just hiccupped."

"It must be the ash. We better take you down." We land on a nearby cliff.

* * *

Cody turns to check on Kade and Heatwave.

 _The two start hosing down the lava as Charlie comes over their comms. "How does it look, Kade?"_

 _"This lava isn't going anywhere."_

 _"Good. Chase and I closed all the mountain roads just in case. Sounds like crisis averted, team."_

"Way to go everyone. I'll be waiting for you in the bunker."

* * *

Field, Normal POV

Dani looks through her binoculars and gasps when she notices the lava is flowing back into the volcano. "That's weird. The lava is disappearing."

I simply glance to Dani, doing everything in my power to not rub my chest.

"Wasn't that what we wanted?"

"Not like this." She turns to her comm. "Uh, you, guys. The lava over on my side is draining in some sort of hole in the rock."

Graham groans. " _Oh, that's not a hole, it's a tunnel._ "

Boulder looks down at Graham, a worried expression on his face. " _A tunnel. Like the ones that all lead to the firehouse bunker?_ "

Heatwave looks down to him. " _Wait a minute. The lava is flowing towards the bunker?_ "

Kade continues. " _But that's where Cody is._ "

Heatwave quickly activates his comm. " _Cody! Cody, can you hear us?_ " He lowers his hand. " _Must be offline and underground by now._ "

* * *

Kade turns to yell at Graham. "Why didn't you warn us Cody might be in danger?"

"I-I didn't know! There's no tunnel on the schematic!"

It's more than obvious Kade is more angry with himself than he is with Graham. "We're supposed to be heroes and we can't do anything!"

Heatwave transforms. "We can do plenty if you stop complaining and get in!" He turns his attention to Graham as Kade climbs in. "Graham, are there any other tunnels near which intersect that with the lava?"

"I don't know. None of these diagrams are up to date." He turns to his partner. "Boulder, can you map the tunnels below us?" As Boulder does, Graham taps his comm. "Dani, we're gonna need water. Maybe we can cool this lava and slow it down.

* * *

In Blades

"I'll see what I can do."

" _Got it._ "

Dani turns to me. "You okay?"

"Fine, Dani."

"You seem… off. You're nothing like what Optimus said…"

"I'm _fine_ , Blades."

* * *

Graham turns to Boulder. Okay, here is the lava, if you take the tunnel below you might have the time to stop the flow before it reaches Cody. But you have to make it to this crossing before the lava does."

"We will."

* * *

With Dani

"I see water tower. But there is no way we can get there on foot." Blades suddenly takes off. "Whoa! Uh, Blades! Oh, no, we can't fly in this ash it might freeze your rotors."

"And it might not. If it means helping Cody it's worth to few hiccups. Excuse me in advance?"

Dani winks. "Anytime, partner."

I turn in my seat to where I'm looking out the window, my fear of heights beside the point.

* * *

With Kade

Graham comes over the comm. " _The intersection should be straight ahead._ "

"No, no, no!" They stop at a wall of rocks blocking the tunnel. Kade jumps out and starts moving rocks. "We'll never get through!"

"Get in!" Heatwave slams through the pile of rocks.

"How did you know that would work?"

"I didn't." He stops and lets Kade out.

"Like Graham said, if we can cool down the lava we can stop it from reaching Cody."

"Not if it's just keeping coming."

They start spraying the lava.

* * *

With Dani

Dani, Blades, and I fly over to the lava with the top of the water tower. "Anybody ordered a drink?"

"What? No, we're taking this to the lava. Oh, I get it. Earth humor."

I sit there in silence. Funny or not, I can't bring myself to care.

Dani turns to me, a worried expression in her eyes. "Sheyenne?"

I look up before glaring at the canopy. "What?"

She turns away. "Nothing."

* * *

With Kade

"The lava is moving too fast."

They back into the roof of the cavern. "Good place as any to hold our ground."

Suddenly the water stops. "What happened?"

"We've exhausted my water reserves." He looks down to Kade as he retracts the hose. "Go, save yourself!"

Kade turns, then turns back and lays a hand on Heatwave's leg. "Fat chance."

* * *

Outside

Graham looks up to Blades. "OK, Blades. Drop the water, now!" The water tower explodes on impact.

* * *

Inside

The lava is about to melt Kade's boots. He raises his boot nervously, and cringes, as the water reaches them in the nick of time. "Yes, the team up top came through!" He looks up to Heatwave. "You know, this doesn't mean we're best friends or anything.

"I was thinking the exact same thing."

* * *

Bunker, Third POV

Cody looks up when Kade and Heatwave pull through the door to the tunnel. "Hey, how did you guys get in here?"

Kade runs over to us and hugs Cody. "Don't you ever scare us like that again!" He then walks away.

Heatwave transforms and looks after Kade before turning to Cody. "Yeah, what he said."

"What did I do?"

* * *

The Next Day, Morning

I stumble upstairs in a black Batman T-shirt, dark blue jeggings, black socks, and black tennis shoes, and fix some tea before sitting at the table with it.

"Looks like you had a hard night."

"Something like that." I mutter to my tea. Between flashbacks and spark break, I barely slept last night.

"Anything I can do?"

I shake my head. "Not really."

She sits beside me. "You look…sad. What happened?"

"My biological family is full of abusers, and my adoptive family is…off-planet…"

"We'll take you in. It's no problem."

"Maybe for you. I'm autistic, Dani. I'm not normal."

"You were good enough for Optimus." She smiles. "You could just…use something like that for your cover."

"Distant cousin, then—just in case."

"In case of what?"

"In case I fall for your younger brother." I stand before pouring my tea into a travel mug. "I'm going back downstairs."

* * *

Afternoon

Cody runs into the living room, dragging me. "You guys! You got to come check this out!" We all take the elevator to the bunker. Cody has to push Kade off it once we stop. He turns him toward the wall, where the bots, Charlie, Cody, and I had painted the rescue bots logo. "What do you think? I mean, this is their home now, too. Right?"

Kade slaps an arm around Cody with a smile on his face. "Sure looks that way."


	4. Shatterdome Part 1

I only own my OC's!

* * *

This is part one of at least three, so the next 3-4 are in order!

* * *

Shatterdome Part 1

September

I sigh heavily before moving to grab another bin, having ten others already filled and loaded into the old beater I bought soon after the fiasco that took my guardian. I'm wearing a black yin-yang T-shirt and blue jeans, with a black hoodie, and black socks with my black tennis shoes. With the sun setting quickly, I'm preparing to head back to my apartment for the night, but I need to collect as much of the Cybertronium as I can. I never know when we'll need more.

I look up when I hear a siren. "Slag. That can't be good." I sigh heavily. "But… China doesn't have tornadoes… Does it?" I Google it using my phone before glancing up to the sky. "Clear skies…" I look up when I feel the ground shake. With Optimus off world… "It's not Optimus… Grimlock?" I look up to see beady blue eyes, and blue around a monster's mouth. "Nope…" I run, and duck behind a silo before shifting to my Cybertronian form. The monster grabs a couple of the workers who had been repairing the silo and quickly devours them. "Oh scrap." I glance over to my beater, but it's still intact. However, driving it, right now, isn't a good idea—not with that—that _kaiju_.

Suddenly, a three-armed robot appears, and starts tearing into the kaiju with three saw blades, like one of the cons in Transformers: Prime. I'd watched it, growing up at the Autobot Base, and, while some of it was so off it wasn't funny, I did find a few true facts beneath the gentler-than-reality, darker-than-normal-cartoons show.

When I turn my attention back to the battle, the kaiju's dead, and the robot kneels. I shift back to human form before they see me, and step over to it nervously. Three men climb out of the top, and one of them walks over to me before laying a hand on my arm. " _Nǐ shānghài_? _Nǐ shòushāng_?"

One thing I'm grateful for is, though I never was able to learn more than Spanish and Cybertronian—both the Autobot language and the Language of the Primes—I did learn how to tell people of other languages I don't speak theirs. " _Wǒ bù shuō zhōngguó_." (I don't speak Chinese.)

"My apologies. Were you hurt?"

I shake my head. "I'm fine, thank you. Just shaken." I sigh heavily. "What was that thing?"

Another man walks over. "Kaiju."

The third joins us. "Do you have a place to stay?"

The first steps back over. "If not, we can take you back to the Shatterdome."

I smile to them. "I'd be grateful, but…" I motion to the beater. "I've got a lot of…a special metal, and I have to find a place to store it."

"Special metal?"

I sigh heavily. "Have you heard of the Cybertronians?" They give me a confused look. "Transformers?"

"Yes. They destroy."

I shake my head. "Not my faction. The Autobots try to prevent destruction, um…"

"Cheung, Ma'am."

"It's Miss. I'm only twenty-three, and unmarried." I nod. "Cheung. The Autobots fought for us—with us." I glance to the robot. "I'll use the question: "who is the monster and who is the man?" The monsters in your case are the kaiju, and even though…whatever that is…is huge, it's the man, because it protects life. In our case, the Decepticons are the monster, like that kaiju, and the Autobots are the man, like that robot."

One of his brothers steps over. "Our jaeger, Crimson Typhoon." He holds out a hand. "My name is Hu."

I shake it. "Good to meet you, Hu." I smile before continuing to explain. "Crim's the man, just like my mentor, Optimus Prime, because both protect life. The bad guys… they killed my Guardian…" The three give me confused looks. "We had a bond, like…" I sigh heavily. "Where I could sense him, no matter how far he was from me, and we could communicate through it, and…" I sigh heavily. "I could feel his pain, when _Lockdown_ killed him." I growl out the mech's name, even as tears roll down my cheeks.

"I am Jin." The third brother smiles. "So it is like the drift?"

"Drift?" I raise an eyebrow. "Only Drift I know is in Texas with the Yeager family." I blink before giggling. That cheered me up a little. "He's a Cybertronian samurai."

Cheung starts to explain. "My brothers and I operate Crimson together, using a neural bridge that allows us to communicate in the same way. We have been jaeger pilots since we were fifteen."

"Ten years?" They nod. "I've trained as an Army Ranger since I was fourteen. My first battle was Chicago…" I sigh heavily. "When I was eighteen."

Cheung—I think—sighs. They're identical, but they haven't changed positions, so I'm pretty sure it's Cheung. "Would you like to follow us to the Shatterdome?"

I shrug. "Sure. No problem."

* * *

Hong Kong Shatterdome

"The Kaiju are learning our defenses. They're adapting. Evolving. And we're losing Jaegers faster than we can build them. Lima. Seattle. Vladivostok. Category 4 Kaijus…are now coming through the Breach. I think even you can see, marshal, this is no longer…a sound strategy. The frequency of the attacks has increased. The Jaegers are not the most viable line of defense anymore."

Stacker steps over to the monitor. "I am aware. Those are my rangers that die every time a Jaeger falls, which is why I'm asking you for one last chance."

The British representative tries to get his attention. "Excuse me, marshal."

"One final assault with everything we've got."

The American representative steps up to the plate. "The Jaeger program is dead, Marshal. On the other hand, the coastal wall…program is a promising option. The world appreciates all that you and your men have done…but it's over. We will authorize you to take all remaining Jaegers…to the last battle station: Hong Kong. We're prepared to fund you…for the next eight months while the coastal wall…is completed. After that, you will receive no further support. You have your answer, marshal."

Tendo stands and walks over to Stacker and "So that's it? It's over?"

Herc steps over to Stacker. "Suits and ties, flashy smiles. That's all they are, Stacker. We don't need them."

* * *

The triplets lead me into the shatterdome and to the Marshal. "Sir?"

He turns to them. "Cheung?" He notices me. "The Autobot Princess."

I rub the back of my neck. "Commander now. Good to meet you." I smile sheepishly. "Apparently General Morshower updated you…to a point."

"We _are_ Rangers."

"Right…" I sigh heavily. "I'm looking for a place to store the Cybertronium KSI stole from us, and to repair, and hopefully revive, my Guardian."

Stacker sighs before glancing around. "Come with me. I'll help you get settled."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Marshal?"

He sighs heavily. "This is my brightest student, Mako Mori. Mako, this is Sheyenne. She's the Autobot Princess, from America."

" _Hajimemashite_."

I sigh heavily. " _Watashi wa nihongo o hanashi_ _ikemasen_."

"It sounds like you do."

I shrug. "Some of the NEST team taught me enough to tell people I can't speak their language, in their own language."

"Ah." She sighs before taking a bin from me and following us. I'm carrying one under my arm, and the other eight on a cart. "I can show you to our executive suite."

"No thank you. I'll take a normal crew room." I nod toward the bins. "But first, I'll take a storage room, if you don't mind."

"Yes, Princess."

"Sheyenne."

"You are very humble."

I shrug. "I didn't know I was Cybertronian royalty until I was fourteen, and I didn't want to be treated any different than the others. I'm a field medic, and a Ranger in my own right." I shrug. "Only special treats I got was to pick the colors of my uniform." I smirk. "It's pink."

"That does not aid in hiding."

I shake my head. "Why hide? I'm a soldier. It's my job to fight."

I set the bins into a storage room before looking around. "I can set this up nicely for a medical bay. Thank you, Stacker."

"Your room is this way."

I simply follow her, and set my bags—which had been on the cart as well—on the floor before turning to Stacker. "You need any help? I can always unpack later."

He sighs heavily. "There is one thing…"

* * *

"By the All Spark…" I follow the steel blue leg to a hip, and finally a chest and head. "She's huge."

"This is—"

I step up and run a hand over the humongous foot. "Gipsy Danger, last of the Mark 3's. 260 feet and 1,980 tons of pure awesome."

" _ **Thank you.**_ "

I'm used to that by now, so I barely flinch. She's _sentient_. "Whoa."

"Sheyenne? Are you—"

"I'm fine." I turn to him. "What did you need me to help with? She looks great."

" _ **Thanks again.**_ " I pat the foot, not wanting to tell them for fear she'll be harmed.

"It's not her, it's her pilot. I want you to come with me when I go after Raleigh Becket next week."

I nod. "Yes, Sir."

* * *

Alaska, one week later

"Eight hundred more beams. Ration cards, guys! Come on, come on! Let's go! Now, I got good news and I got bad news, fellas. Which one you wanna hear first?"

"Bad news!"

"Bad news: Three guys died yesterday working the top of the wall."

"What's the good news?"

"The good news is… I got three new job openings. Top of the wall." The foreman sighs. "Okay, who wants to work? Who wants to eat? Come on!"

Raleigh turns to the screen above him, having just walked in from working on the wall. " _I am here in Sydney, where earlier today…yet another Kaiju attack took place. The Kaiju, an enormous Category 4…broke through the coastal wall…in less than an hour." The monster on the newscast roars. "The Wall of Life had been deemed unbreachable by its builders._ "

"Why the hell…are we even building this thing? That thing went through the wall like it was nothing."

" _Ironically, it was…the recently decommissioned Jaeger, Striker Eureka…piloted by Herc…and Chuck Hansen that finally…took the beast down._ "

People panic on the newscast as the jaeger attacks the monster, and the sounds of its' missiles firing activates car alarms.

" _Look, they decommissioned the Jaeger program…because of mediocre pilots. It's that simple. That's Striker Eureka's tenth kill to date. It's a new record._ "

" _And you're still going to Hong Kong, even at a time like this?_ "

Chuck shrugs. " _Well, orders are orders. What else am I supposed to do?_ "

" _Chuck Hansen, one of the pilots…of Striker Eureka…the Jaeger that took down the Kaiju._ "

Marshal Pentecost and I walk over. "Mr. Becket."

"Marshal." He nods. "Looking sharp."

"Long time."

Raleigh nods to me. "Who's this?"

"Sheyenne. Princess of Cybertron and current Autobot commander." I shake his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Raleigh turns back to Stacker. "Five years, four months."

"Can I have a word?"

"Step into my office, Marshal."

"Took me a while to find you. Anchorage, Sheldon Point, Nome…"

"Yeah, a man in my position…travels with the wall, chasing shifts to make a living." He sighs. "What do you want?"

"I've spent the last six months activating everything I can get my hands on. There's an old Jaeger, a Mark 3. You may know it. It needs a pilot."

"I'm guessing I wasn't your first choice."

"You are my first choice. All the other Mark 3 pilots are dead."

"Look…I can't have anyone else in my head again. I'm done. I was still connected to my brother when he died. I can't go through that again, man, I'm sorry."

"Haven't you heard, Mr. Becket? The world is coming to an end. So where would you rather die? Here, or in a Jaeger?"

"I'd say the jaeger, Mr. Becket." I sigh heavily. "Ghost drifts and broken spark-bonds are a lot alike, I've heard."

"What?"

I sigh heavily. "Mr. Becket, I lost my Guardian a few weeks ago. I know how you feel. Yet I'm still doing what I can to help end this war, while everyone else is defending a family, on Optimus' last orders. Mine were to watch over them, and I am—remotely." I pull on the helmet before turning to him. "Trust me, I see where you're coming from. I could have gotten eaten last week, but I _didn't_. That tells me that, even though my spark is broken, and _literally_ _killing me_ , I still have something to live for, and so do you, so _man up, soldier_!" He gives me a surprised look, causing me to shrug. "Bee's close to Optimus, and feels the need to protect someone. I had to be tough with him, or he never would have left. His place is with the Yeager family, mine is gathering Cybertronium and keeping an eye and ear out for a place to move them to if things go south."

"That won't be necessary."

I turn to the Marshal with a surprised look. "I thought—"

"We are more than willing to house the Autobots for as long as is necessary."

"Thank you, Sir."

"There is no need for that." I raise an eyebrow. "You may be younger than me, but you out-rank me."

I shake my head. "You are older than me, Sir, and I was taught to respect my elders."

* * *

Hong Kong Shatterdome

We land outside the shatterdome in the rain, with several people on the helipad, all talking amongst themselves. I reach up and pull my hood up. I hate rain.

"Mr. Becket…this is Mako Mori. One of our brightest." She smiles under her umbrella. "Also in charge of the Mark 3 restoration program. She personally handpicked your copilot candidates."

" _Watashi wa chigatta kare o sōzō shimashita_."(I imagined him differently.)

"Hey." Mako turns to him. " _Yokumowarukumo_?" (Better or worse?)

" _Watashi wa,-shi Beketto o owabi mōshiagemasu_. _Watashi wa anata ni tsuite ōku no koto o kikimashita_." (I apologize, Mr. Becket. I've heard a lot about you.) The two nod to each other.

We start through the doors. "At ease." He turns to Raleigh. "We will tour the facility first…and then Miss Mori will show you to your Jaeger, Mr. Becket."

Two scientists rush up to us. The one with the cane—the polite one—speaks first. "Wait for us, please!"

The ruder one runs up behind him. "Hold the door…please!"

The polite one nods to Raleigh. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

We take an elevator down to the main level.

* * *

Science Lab

The ruder one huffs. "Stay back. Kaiju specimens are extremely rare…so look but don't touch, please."

"Mr. Becket, this is our research team—Dr. Gottlieb and Dr. Geiszler."

"Oh, no, call me Newt. Only my mother calls me Doctor." He turns to his fellow scientist. "Hermann, these are human beings. Why don't you say hello."

"I have asked you not to refer to me by my first name around others. I am a doctor with over 10 years of decorated experience…"

Newt, ever the childish one, mocks him. "Ten years! I'm very sorry."

"Oh, please."

Raleigh then notices the Kaiju on Newt's arm. "…Yamarashi?"

"Oh, this little Kaiju? Yeah, you got a good eye."

"My brother and I took him down in 2017."

"You know he was one of the biggest Category 3's ever? He was 2,500 tons of awesome." Raleigh and Mako give him a look. "Or awful. You know, whatever you wanna call it."

Gotlieb comes through for us, thankfully. "Please excuse him. He's a Kaiju groupie. He loves them."

"Shut up, Hermann, I don't love them, okay? I study them. And unlike most people, I wanna see one alive and up close one day."

Raleigh pats his shoulder. "Trust me…you don't want to."

I glare at the man. "Trust me, he's right."

* * *

We leave the room. "So that's your Research Division?"

"Things have changed." Mako types in a code. "We're not an army anymore, Mr. Becket. We're the resistance." He motions forward, through the opening door. "Welcome to the Shatterdome." Raleigh and I turn to look at a clock on the wall. I'd missed it earlier, and he just got here. "War clock. We reset it after every Kaiju attack. Keeps everyone focused. The frequency of attacks is accelerating."

"How long till the next reset?"

Raleigh almost gets hit by a small vehicle. "A week, if we're lucky. My experts believe there'll be a Kaiju attack…even before that." He turns to catch up with the others. "This complex used to lodge…30 Jaegers in five bays just like this one. Now we only have four Jaegers left."

"I didn't know it was this bad."

"It is that bad." Stacker points up to Crimson, who's in the process of being cleaned. "Crimson Typhoon, China. One of the greatest. Assembled in Changzhou. Full titanium core, no alloys. Fifty diesel engines per muscle strand. Deadly, precise fighter. She's piloted by the Wei Tang brothers. Triplets. Local lads."

"Good men. Saved me last week."

"They've successfully defended Hong Kong port seven times. They use the Thundercloud formation."

"Hell, yeah. Triple-arm technique."

"Very effective." Stacker points up to Cherno Alpha. "That tank, last of the T-90s. Cherno Alpha. First generation Mark 1. The heaviest and oldest Jaeger in the service. But make no mistake, Mr. Becket, it's a brutal war machine." He motions to Cherno's pilots, whom I haven't met yet. "And those two: Sasha and Aleksis Kaidanovsky."

"Yeah, I've heard of them." We stop. "Perimeter patrol, Siberian wall."

"On their watch it stayed unbreached for six years. Six years."

I step over and shake their hands. "Nice to meet you both."

The man smiles. "I am Aleksis. Is nice meeting you too. We will be working together?"

"I hope." I turn when I hear a dog barking, then spare one last look at Cherno.

"Herc! Chuck! Gentlemen, welcome to Hong Kong!"

Herc turns to his son. "Wait here.

"Max! Come here! Remember me?"

"Don't drool…all over Miss Mori." He sighs. "Sees a pretty girl…and he gets all wound up."

"Raleigh, this is Hercules Hansen, an old friend from the Mark 1 glory days."

"I know you, mate. We rode together before."

He's an Aussie. I _love_ their accents!

"We did, sir. Six years ago. My brother and I. It was a three Jaeger team drop."

"That's right. Manila. Sorry about your brother."

"Thank you, sir."

Stacker continues. "Herc and his son Chuck'll be running point using Striker Eureka. Fastest Jaeger…in the world. First and last of the Mark 5's. Australia decommissioned it a day before the Sydney attack."

"Yeah, it was lucky we were still around."

"Yep.

"Now it's running point for us."

"Wait, running point on what? You haven't told me what I'm doing here yet."

"We're going for the Breach, Mr. Becket. We're gonna strap a 2,400 pound thermonuclear warhead to Striker's back. Detonate an equivalent of 1.2…million tons of TNT. And you and two other Jaegers…will be running defense for them."

"Thought we were the resistance. Where'd you get something that big? See the Russians back there? They can get us anything. Herc, shall we?"

Herc lightly socks Raleigh on the arm. "Good to have you back."

"Thank you, sir."

Mako smiles. "I'll show you to your Jaeger now."

"Miss Mori…will you give me a minute?" Raleigh runs after Stacker. "Marshal! Sir, we've hit the Breach before. It doesn't work. Nothing goes through. What's changed?"

"I've got a plan. I need you ready. That's all. Let's go, Herc!"

Chuck follows his dad. "Max, come here!"

 _Crew 17…please report to the fifth floor._

* * *

Medical Room

I step into the now-furnished medical bay. All that's left is having the last of Ratchet's frame, hidden in storage in the old NEST base and guarded by Lennox, shipped out on a C17. "Home, sweet home." I pick my way around the boxes, and start putting away the new medical supplies that came in today. I'm gonna be busy, being the only medic here, but it'll keep my mind off Ratchet.

* * *

Science Lab

"Zero minus two. XY minus two. R-E-Q…" Gotlieb climbs down from his ladder. "In the beginning, he Kaiju attacks were spaced by 24 weeks. Then twelve, then six, then every two weeks. The last one in Sydney was a week. In four days…we could be seeing a Kaiju every eight hours…until they are coming every four minutes. Marshal, we should witness a double event within seven days."

"Mr. Gottlieb, I'm to drop a 2400 pound thermonuclear bomb…I need more than…a prediction."

"Well, uh…that's a problem, then…because see, he actually can't give you anything more than a prediction."

Newt throws some kaiju intestines at Gotlieb, who kicks them back to Newt's side of the room. "No Kaiju entrails over my side of the room. You know the rules. Every bloody day. It's incessant."

Herc snaps at the two. "Gents! On point."

I step into the room behind Stacker and lean against the wall.

"Numbers do not lie. Politics and poetry, promises, these are lies. Numbers are as close as we get to the handwriting of God."

"What?"

"Oh, please! I know the Language of the _Primes_!"

"Would you give me a moment?" He turns to glare at me. "And what are you doing in here?" He turns back to Stacker without waiting for an answer. "There will be a double event. And then, shortly thereafter, three. And then four…"

"And then we're dead. I get it."

"Alas. This is where the good news comes." He steps over to a holographic computer. "Here is our universe…" He draws a circle. "And here is theirs." He draws another, then connects the two. "And this is what we call "The Throat", the passage between the Breach and us. We know that it's atomic in nature. I predict that the increased traffic…" He turns something, causing the tunnel between the two to open. "Will force the Breach to stabilize…and remain open long enough…" He moves a bomb-shaped something over the hole and drops it. "To get the device through…and collapse its structure."

"Yeah, and that's…where I gotta chime in because, really…I wouldn't wanna go in there with that limited amount of information."

"Newton, don't embarrass yourself."

"Just hear me out for a second. Give me a second. Please." The three of us move over to Newt. "Why do we judge the Kaiju

on a category system? It's because each one…is completely different from the next, right? You see what I'm saying? Like, one looks like a shark and one looks like a fish…"

"Dr. Geiszler. Just get to the point."

"Yes." Gotlieb whispers.

"The point is…I don't think they're all completely different after all. These are some samples I collected, all right? Now, this one here was harvested in Sydney. And this was harvested in Manila. Six years ago. They have the same exact DNA. They're clones."

"And this is…the point where he goes completely crazy."

I wave a hand at the annoying math-based scientist, almost swatting him. "Shush. I think he's onto something."

"There's so much more to the Kaiju than we understand. And we've really only scratched the surface." He steps over to a tank filled with yellow fluid, and a brain. "This is a piece of a Kaiju's brain. Now, unfortunately, it's damaged. It's a little bit weak. But it's still alive. Now, I think…I can tap into it…using the same technology that allows the two Jaeger pilots…to share a neural bridge. Now, think about that. I could tell you exactly…how to get through the Breach yourselves."

Herc is less than impressed, while I'm intrigued. "You're suggesting that we initiate a Drift with a Kaiju?"

"No, no. No, no. Not like a whole Kaiju, you know, just a tiny piece of its brain."

"The neural surge would be too much…for the human brain."

"I agree."

"I don't agree."

"Me neither." My comment falls on deaf ears.

"Gottlieb…" Stacker turns to the scientist. "I'd like your data on my desk ASAP."

He salutes. "Sir."

"No, but his is so…"

"Thank you, Newt." He turns to leave.

"Guys, now, this is the most amazing thing…"

"Newton, I know that you're desperate to be right…so you've not wasted your life being a Kaiju groupie…but it's not going to work."

I actually slap the crippled man. While not as violent as Ratchet usually was when he got aggravated, I still tend to hit people when they annoy me. "Shut up, you." I huff. "Primus, I'm going into town first thing tomorrow and buying a stash of plastic wrenches."

"It is going to work, Hermann. And I'll tell you…something else. Fortune favors the brave, dude."

"You heard them. They won't give you the equipment and even if they did…you'd kill yourself."

"Or I'd be a rock star."

I glare at the two. "Hermann, listen to reason. I'm the slaggin' medic here, and I'll tell you what the human brain can and cannot handle. Newt, I believe you're on to something, but I need you to prove it to me."

"You _believe_ him?"

" _Hermann_ _Gotlieb_!" I scoff. "I lived with alien robots for almost ten years! I'm fraggin' techno-organic! My bond-uncle was a fraggin' scientist, just like Newt, who got so excited about his work that his experiments usually blew up. Trust me, when I say, that he's on to something. Newt, let me know when you decide to do it, because I need to be here." I turn to storm to the door. "And I'm _serious_ about the plastic wrenches." I stomp out.


	5. Shatterdome Part 2

I only own my OC's!

* * *

Shatterdome Part 2

hangar

I run to catch up with Raleigh and Mako.

Mako smiles as she waves a hand to the steel blue jaeger. "There she is."

Raleigh sighs. "Oh, my God. Look at her. Gipsy Danger. God, it's so beautiful. She looks like new."

"Better than new. She has a double-core nuclear reactor. She's one of a kind now."

"She always was." Raleigh adjusts the strap of his duffel, moving it further up on his shoulder.

I smile. "And she's _my_ kind of monster."

Raleigh raises an eyebrow at me as Tendo walks over. "How do you like your ride, Becket boy? Solid iron hull, no alloys. Forty engine blocks per muscle strand. Hyper-torque driver for every limb and a new fluid…synapse system." The two hug. "Come here."

"Tendo. It's good to see you, buddy."

"It's good to see you too, brother. It's just like old times."

* * *

"What did you mean, she's your kind of monster?"

I sigh heavily. "Giant robots. I've always loved them. Grew up with the Autobots, after all." I shrug before sighing. "I just… Miss them, I guess. After Ratchet died…"

"He was your guardian?"

I nod. "Colonel Lennox should be shipping his rescued frame out here soon. He stored it for me while I was helping in the battle here." I rub my chest—I've been doing that a lot, since the battle ended. "Spark break's a killer, Rals. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about. He trained me." I smirk. "I could probably help out with Gips, if you want me to." I glance up to Mako before moving closer to him. "She's sentient, you know."  
"I know. She was when Knifehead…"

I lay a hand on his shoulder. "I was able to understand her."

"What?"

I nod. "One of my special abilities."

"Cool."

I smile. "I know." My face falls as I rub my chest.

"You've been doing that a lot."

"It hurts." I shrug. "I told you, spark break." I roll my eyes at his expression of shock. "I told you I was techno-organic, right?" He shakes his head. "Well, I am. I can turn into one of them, if the need arises."

* * *

rooms

I follow the two to his room. "So, what's your story?

Restoring old Jaegers, showing has-beens like me around. That can't be it. You a pilot?"

"No. Not yet. But I wanna be one…more than anything."

"What's your simulator score?"

"Fifty-one drops, 51 kills."

"Wow, that's amazing. But you're not one of the candidates tomorrow?"

"I am not. The marshal has his reasons."

"Yeah, he always does, doesn't he? But with 51 kills, I can't imagine what they could be."

"I hope you approve of my choices. I've studied your fighting techniques and strategy. Even…Alaska."

"And what do you think?"

"I think you're unpredictable. You have a habit of deviating from standard combat techniques. You take risks that endanger yourself and your crew. I don't think you're the right man for this mission."

"Wow. Thank you for your honesty. You might be right. But one day, when you're a pilot, you're gonna see that in combat…you make decisions. And you have to live with the consequences. That's what I'm trying to do."

Mako and I leave, almost in perfect sync. I start down the hall to my own room, while Mako steps into her room, only to turn and watch Raleigh. She stares when she finds him scarred. When she sees him turn to her, she closes her door, but stares through the peephole. He quickly moves to shut his door.

* * *

command center

"The candidates are ready. We will commence the trials immediately, sir."

"Good."

"But there is one thing."

"Mako, we have talked about this. We will not be talking about it again."

"You promised me. _Watashi wa kare to jipushī o kudō suru monodenakereba narimasen._ " (I should be the one driving Gipsy with him.)

"Mako. Vengeance is like an open wound. You cannot take that level of emotion into the Drift."

"For my family, I need…"

" _Wareware wa yori ōku no jikan o motte ita baai._ " (If we had more time.)

* * *

that night

I'm in the cafeteria, sitting beside Chuck, whom I've learned is a major jerk, waiting for Herc and Raleigh.

Herc runs down the stairs with two trays. "Raleigh. Come sit with us."

"Oh, I'm okay, thank you."

"Ah, come on, there's plenty of room at our table."

Raleigh sits down beside me. "I haven't seen bread in a while."

"Hong Kong. Beauty of an open port, no rationing. We've got potatoes, peas, sweet beans, decent meat loaf. Pass the potatoes." Raleigh hands them to him. "Raleigh, this is my son Chuck. He's my copilot now."

"He's more my copilot. Right, Dad?" He turns to Raleigh. "So you're the guy, eh? You're the guy who's gonna run defense for me in that old rust bucket of yours?"

" _Take that back_." I hold up the spoon I had grabbed from the dinner line. "Before I beat you upside the head with this."

"That's the plan."

"Good. So when was the last time you jockeyed, Ray?"

"About five years ago."

"What have you been doing for five years? Something pretty important, I reckon."

"I was in construction."

"Oh, wow, that's great. I mean, that's really useful. We get into a fight, you can build our way out of it, eh, Ray?"

"It's _Raleigh_."

"Whatever. Look, you're Pentecost's bright idea. And my old man, he seems to like you. But it's guys like you who brought down the Jaeger program. To me…you're dead weight. You slow me down…I'm gonna drop you like a sack of Kaiju shit." He clicks his tongue as he puts on an army green cap. "I'll see you around, _Ra_ leigh." He turns to his dog. "Come on, Max." He winks at me. "And I'll catch you later, Princess."

"He did _not_ just flirt with me, after what he said to Rals!" I stand, think twice about going on a Ratchet-like semi-murderous rampage, and sit back down.

"You can blame me for that one. I've raised him on my own. He's a smart kid, but I never knew whether to give him a hug…or a kick in the ass."

"With respect, sir…I'm pretty sure which one he needs."

I nod. "The second one, for sure." I rest a hand on Raleigh's. "Remember, I understand what you're going through, so if you need anything, just let me know. I'll be here, whenever."

"Thanks…"

Herc turns to me. "What happened to you?" He nods at my pink Ranger T-shirt. "You're obviously a Ranger."

" _Army_ Ranger. I was raised by the Autobots from fourteen." I take a bite of the meatloaf before continuing. "My Guardian, Ratchet, was killed by a mercenary a couple weeks ago. I have reviving powers, so I may be able to save him, but I have years of work to do before there's any chance I can. Stacker's letting me stay here because of my status with the Autobots."

"Status?"

"I'm their princess, and now, their commander." He raises an eyebrow. "Optimus had to go off-world, so he left me in charge. I lost my mentor, and my Guardian, within a week." I set my fork down and rub at my chest with a grimace. The pain's only getting worse.

"You okay?"

I nod. "I'm techno-organic, so I have a spark, and it's damaged from the broken bond. It's called spark-break, and it's painful. Only those with an iron will can survive, and that, only for a few years." I hold up the ring I wear on a chain. "But, I've proved my mettle, so you don't have to worry about me."

"Sheyenne?" I look up to see Stacker. "Your delivery is here."

"Delivery?"

I nod. "Delivery."

* * *

I run to the entrance and quickly shift forms before taking the 24 foot frame off the cart it's tethered to. I set it down momentarily, just so I can lay his severed leg on the rest of the frame, then start to stagger toward the medical bay. I just don't feel right, using a cart. He was family.

"Holy—"

"Crikey. Is that—"

"Yep. It's Ratch." I nod my head toward the door. "Would one of you be kind enough to open a door for a lady? I seem to have my hands full." Herc steps forward and pulls it open. "Thanks, Herc."

the next morning

I climb out of bed and wince. "Never thought that would get worse than my chest is now, but…" I sigh and grab my brace before changing into a black cap sleeved knee length jersey dress, black leggings, black flats, then put on a black belt with a new red Autobot symbol buckle before leaving the room. I've got to watch the compatibility trials this morning.

* * *

Raleigh is fighting in their training room, trying to find who's compatible with who. I'm leaning against the wall with a plastic wrench tucked into my belt. Grief, added to my usual short temper, has apparently turned me into the one mech I miss more than my own grandmother!

Mako is standing beside Stacker with a clipboard, scoring the matches. Raleigh takes the first man down, causing the group to applaud. I simply roll my eyes. "Four points to 0." Stacker grunts.

The next candidate comes out twirling, using a wooden staff—which they all have—as a sword. Raleigh brings him down using the staff on the back of his neck. "Four points to 1." The others applaud as I scowl. I hate watching brawls. It reminds me of Prowl, Sunstreaker, and the Protectobots. I'm only here to do my duty as a medic. I'll train alone, when they're all gone.

Raleigh takes the third down by hooking his staff under the man's leg and lifting. "Four points…to 2."

"Okay, what? You don't like them? I thought you selected them…personally." Raleigh leans on his staff, hands folded over the top.

"Excuse me?"

"Every time a match ends you make this little… gesture, like you're critical of their performance."

"It's not their performance, it's yours. Your gambit. You could have taken them all two moves earlier."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"Can we change this up? How about we give her a shot."

The others agree, but Stacker is adamant. "No. We stick to the cadet list we have, ranger. Only candidates with Drift compatibility…"

"Which I have, marshal."

"Mako, this is not only about a neural connection. It's also about a physical compatibility."

"What's the matter, marshal? Don't think your brightest can cut it in the ring with me?"

"Go." He takes the clipboard, freeing her up. Mako steps onto the floor barefoot and sets her boots on the lip. I stand. This could be interesting, after all. "Four strikes marks a win."

"Remember, it's about compatibility. It's a dialogue, not a fight." Raleigh turns to face her from the side she entered. "But I'm not gonna dial down my moves.

"Okay." She turns to face him from the other side. "Then neither will I."

She twirls twice and takes a fighting stance with her staff facing back, as Raleigh shifts to hold his staff up like a sword. He inches forward before almost slamming it into her head. "One-zero."

She smacks his away before almost hitting him. "One-one."

Mako pulls her staff back as if holstering it, while Raleigh smacks her in the back, near her waist. "Two-one. Concentrate."

The two start blocking strikes right and left, finally ending with Mako almost hitting Raleigh in the face again. "Two-two. Better watch it."

She points her staff at the ground while Raleigh takes a two-handed approach with his aimed at the ground as well. Mako blocks every strike from Raleigh before flipping him. He rolls to his knees, only for her to almost hit him in the face again.

"Oh."

"Three-two."

"Misu Mori. Yori ōku no seigyo." (Miss Mori. More control.)

They start swinging at each other again, dodging and blocking so fast I can barely keep track of everything, before Raleigh slams Mako to the ground and points the end of his staff at her.

She stands, swings at Raleigh—who blocks it—and takes a fighting stance. A moment later, they're back in the fray. After several dodges and blocks, she gets Raleigh down with his leg between her arm and staff. "Enough." The crowd applauds as she stands and shifts the staff to where it's pointing up behind her. "I've seen what I need to see."

Raleigh stands and sets one end of his staff on the ground. "Me too. She's my copilot."

"That's not going to work."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so, Mr. Becket. I made my decision. Report to the Shatterdome in two hours and find out who your copilot will be."

I watch Stacker and Mako leave, then wait for the bystanders leave, then step over to Raleigh. "Hey."

"How'd you sleep?"

I wave a hand side-to-side. "Better than I did in that apartment, but…" I sigh heavily. "I think I'm turning into him, Rals…"

"How…" He notices the wrench. "What?"

"He had a temper, and a tendency to throw his tools around. This…" I shake my head sadly. "It's not easy."

"Trust me, I understand." He hands me a discarded staff. "Wanna try?"

I shrug. "Why not? We got two hours."

"All right."

* * *

way to suites, jaeger teams

"You ever think of operating a jaeger?"

"I am _made_ of metal, Rals—part of the time, anyway. I'm a techno-organic Autobot. What could I solve by going out in a giant robot?" I shrug. "Besides, I've got…too much trauma, right now. I'd just screw up the drift, and we'd all be in trouble." I sigh, and turn toward my own room. "Maybe in a few years, but not right now. I couldn't handle it."

* * *

Suites, jaeger teams

"Mako. What was all that about? I mean… I'm not crazy. You felt it, right? We are Drift compatible.

"Thank you for standing up for me. But there is nothing to talk about." She tries to unlock Raleigh's room.

"That's my room."

"Excuse me."

"I mean, come on. I thought you wanted to be a pilot. Mako…this is worth fighting for. We don't have to just obey him."

"It's not obedience, Mr. Becket. It's respect."

"Would you at least tell me what his problem is?"

* * *

my suite

" _ **Shey, I…**_ "

I reach up and tap the button on my comm. "Bee? What's—"

" _ **Cemetery wind found us. The—**_ " I hear a keen over the comm. " _ **The** **Yeager's and Shane are okay, I got them away, but…**_ " This time a faint whine comes over. " _ **Shey, they're gone… I—I never wanted to know how he felt, and now—**_ "

"Easy, Big Guy… I know what you mean. How's Tessa and Cade handling it?"

" _ **They're okay… The house wasn't hit this time, just… D—**_ "

"Don't." I shake my head. "Optimus' orders still apply to you, Big Guy, but don't be afraid to comm me if you need something. We'll survive. You're the bravest mech alive now, and…" I take in a shaky breath. "And Optimus _will_ come back. We just have to survive 'til then."

" _ **How have you been—**_ "

"Fine, Bee. I'm a Ranger Medic at the Shatterdome now." I end the comm before he makes me elaborate and lean back in my chair with my bad foot propped up on the table, while the other's in my chair. Bad manners or not, I don't care. I reach for the remote and turn on the news.

" _In the wake of the Sydney incident, which showed the ineffective nature of the Wall of Life program, many are questioning the government's motives and wondering why the Jaeger program has been discontinued. Riots have erupted along the coastlines of several Pan Pacific cities."_

" _We have now relocated millions of civilians and supplies 300 miles inland to the safe zones._ "

" _Safe zones? For the rich and powerful? What about the rest of us?_ "

" _Yeah, answer the question._ "

" _I believe the Wall of Life is still our best option at this time. And that's all I'm gonna say on the matter. Thank you._ "

"Idiots in Government. Can't believe Ratch was ever able to handle them." I look down. I'd actually gotten so busy I'd forgotten about Lockdown and him until now. I look up at a knock and wipe a tear off my cheek before putting my feet on the floor. "It's open!"

The door creaks open. "Shey?"

"Rals…" I look down. He's the one person here who understands about broken bonds.

He sets a picture of him and another man standing in front of a large blue metal leg on the table. "That's the day we got Gipsy… I thought you might want to see it…"

I nod, then open my heart-shaped locket. "That's Ratch, and there's Optimus. He was a medic, and a politician before that. He's the prime—our leader, and my mentor." I look down at my hands. "Rals… There's only two of us left, now…"

"What happened?"

"Cemetery Wind got 'em. Bee's shaken, but…" I look at my hands. "God, Rals… I don't know what I'm supposed to do now. Bee and I grew up together. If I bring him out here, the Yeager family's in danger, but if I leave them there, they're all in danger…"

He looks around. "We don't have anywhere they could stay right now, but Stacker might be able to help…"

"Mako and I could start getting things set up for them to stay out here, but that might take about as long as it will to get _Ratchet_ back!" I shake my head. "God, Bee and I need him more than you could imagine right now…"

* * *

science lab

I lean against the wall as Newt finishes building a neural bridge.

"Kaiju/Human Drift experiment, take one. The, uh… The brain segment is the frontal lobe. Um, chances are, the segment's far too damaged to Drift with. Unscientific aside: Hermann, if you're listening to this…well, I'm either alive and I've proven what I've just done works, in which case…ha, I won, or I'm dead and I'd like you to know that it's all your fault. It really is. You know, you drove me to this. In which case…ha, I also won. Sort of. I'm going in in three…two…one." He pushes a large red button.

He starts shaking, almost seizing. "NEWT!" I pull out a few medical supplies, just in case, and get ready to pull the contraption off his head.

Gotlieb runs over and stabilizes his head. "Newton. Newton! What have you done?" He shuts down the contraption before taking it off.

I rub the back of my neck. "Thanks. I was just about to do that." I help him up and sigh. "Get him some water, and get Stacker. I'll stay with him."

* * *

shatterdome

 _Gipsy Danger neural test commencing in 20 minutes. Gipsy Danger neural test commencing in 20 minutes. Gipsy Danger neural test…_

Raleigh walks up to Mako's door, then changes his mind and walks away.

Stacker knocks on the door. Mako, who had been watching through the peephole, opens the door, thinking it's Raleigh. He bows to her. She bows back. "May I come in, Mako?" He steps in, causing her to step back. He moves in front of her and unfolds a yellowed handkerchief, revealing a red Mary Jane shoe. "A long time ago I made you a promise. Junbi o shimasu." (Get ready.)

* * *

gipsy Danger test run: command center

Tendo turns to one of the mechanics. "These transmitters are non-operative. I need them replaced."

* * *

conn pod

Raleigh steps into the conn pod. "Setting harness for test mode. Waiting for second pilot."

 _Two pilots on board._

"I'm gonna take this side if you don't mind. My left arm's kind of shot."

"Sure." Raleigh turns to her and smiles. "Are you gonna say anything?"

"No point. In five minutes you're gonna be inside my head. You look good."

 _Pilots on board and ready to connect._

* * *

command center

Stacker walks into the command center. "Prepare for Neural Handshake."

"Initiating neural handshake."

* * *

conn pod

"Okay. We're not in the simulator now, Mako. Remember, don't chase the RABIT. Random Access Brain Impulse Triggers. Memories. Just let them flow, don't latch on. Tune them out. Stay in the Drift. The Drift is silence."

 _Neural interface Drift initiated._

 _"Raleigh!"_

 _"Mama!"_

 _"Raleigh, listen to me! Raleigh, listen to me!"_

Mako gasps.

 _Right hemisphere calibrated. Left hemisphere calibrated. Ready to activate the Jaeger._

* * *

command center

"Okay, Gipsy. Lining up nicely. Better get ready."

 _Pilot to Jaeger connection complete._

Gottlieb runs in suddenly. "Marshal! Marshal! I need to talk to you."

"Not now, Mr. Gottlieb. I'm sure you can appreciate how important this moment is to me."

"Newton created a neural bridge from garbage and Drifted with a Kaiju.

* * *

science lab

"I found him prone…and he's sort of dazed. I don't exactly know what to do."

"I already handled everything. That's not why we needed him."

"I told you it would work."

"Yes, you did. Well, what'd you see?"

"It was only a fragment of a brain, so really all I was able to get was, like…a series of, uh, images…or impressions. Like when you blink your eyes over and over and over again all you really see…are, like, frames. It was emotion."

"Newton, Newton."

"Calm down. You're worse than Sam was."

"Excuse me?"

"I'll explain later, Herman."

"Okay, Newton. Newton, look at me." Stacker waits until he does. "Now I want you to take your time and be very specific."

"Okay. Okay." He takes a sip of the water Gotlieb brought him. "Well, I don't feel like they're just following some sort of animalistic urge…you know, just hunting and gathering. I think they're attacking us under orders."

"That's impossible."

"Is that impossible?"

"It's impossible."

"Why don't you Drift with a Kaiju?"

Stacker points to Gotlieb. "You! Shut up!" He points to Geiszler. "You, keep talking."

"These beings, these masters, they're colonists. They overtake worlds. They just consume them…and then they move on to the next. And they've been here before in sort of a trial run. It was the dinosaurs. But the atmosphere wasn't conducive, right? So they waited it out. And they waited it out. And now with ozone depletion, and carbon monoxide, polluted waters well, we've practically terra-formed it for them. Because now they're coming back, and it's perfect. See, the first wave, that was just the hounds. Categories 1 through 4, it was nothing. Their sole purpose was to aim for the populated areas and to take out the vermin: Us! The second wave, that is the exterminators. And they will finish the job. And then the new tenants will take possession. See, the reason that I found the identical DNA in the two separate Kaiju organs…is because they are grown!"

"Newton, I need you to do it again. I need more information."

"I can't do it again. I mean, not unless you have

a fresh Kaiju brain lying around." He looks up at Stacker. "Do you?"


	6. Shatterdome Part 3

I only own my OC's!

* * *

Shatterdome Part 3

command center

"Pretty impressive."

"Yeah, he remembers how to turn it on."

"Oi, show some respect. When his brother died, he got the Jaeger back to shore on his own. I've known one other pilot that's been able to do that."

* * *

science lab

"Now, there are certain individuals whose business is the preservation and exploitation of Kaiju remains."

"Uh, yeah, right, um, black market dealers, right?"

Stacker pulls a video up on a laptop. "Yep. They're in and out in a matter of hours. They neutralize the acidic factor of the blood and they harvest what they need." He pauses it and points to a man. "Now, this guy, this is Hannibal Chau. He runs the Kaiju black market here in Asia. When our funding ran out, we turned to him for help and in return, I gave him exclusive rights to all Kaiju remains in the region."

"You did that?"

"Last days of war, gentlemen." He hands Newt a card. "Go to the corner of Fong and Tull. Show them that card. Look for that symbol. And a word to the wise, do not trust him."

Gotlieb pulls me aside. "What did you mean? Who is Sam?"

"Sam Witwicky was a teen that helped us up through Chicago. Two years after we met, he touch the All Spark and wound up seeing Cybertronian—the language of the primes—in a way eerily similar to Newt just now. Without Sam seeing those symbols, we never would have saved Optimus, because Sam literally _brought him back to life_."

"A drift?"

I shake my head. "No, but similar. It zapped his finger." I smile. "And I have the solution to ending them. I learned it in Chicago a few weeks ago, when we raided KSI."

"What?"

"I know what killed the dinosaurs." I pull a small bit of the Cybertronium out of my pocket and play with it.

"We already have a plan."

"Party pooper."

"Besides, don't you need that to save your guardian."

"Well, duh. I didn't mean the metal. I have a seed from the Knight's Teminos. It's a Cybertronium bomb, that turns stuff into this." I hold out the metal I'd been fiddling with.

"We'll stick with our bomb. We don't know your tech."

I facepalm once Stacker walks away, Newt following so he can go after Chou. "Sheyenne?"

"I'm just annoyed, Herman." I shake my head. "It hasn't been an easy day. I just learned we lost three more bots stateside last night, and now I have the idea of the century, that, combined with Newt's drifts, could save the world from these fiends forever, and it's not good enough for Stacker." I pause with an ear turned toward the bays. "I'm needed in the bays. Can you handle clean up?"

"Sure."

"Your legs' okay?"

"I'm fine. Go. You're needed."

* * *

bays

 _Calibration complete._

* * *

 _"The hull! It went through the hull!"_

 _"Raleigh, listen to me! You need…"_

* * *

 _Pilot out of alignment._

* * *

command center

"Both out of alignment."

"Both of them?"

"Both of them." He grabs the microphone. "Gipsy, Gipsy! You're out of alignment! You are both out of alignment."

* * *

conn pod

"I'm okay. Just let me control it."

 _Out of alignment. Code red._

" _You're stabilizing. But Mako is way out. She's starting to chase the RABIT!_ "

"Mako, don't get stuck in a memory. Stay with me. Stay in the now. Don't engage in a memory. Mako. Mako! Listen to me. Mako?"

* * *

memory: Mako

"Mama! Mama!"

* * *

Conn pod

"Mako. This is just a memory. None of this is real."

 _Weapons system engaged. Plasma cannon powering up._

* * *

command center

"Oh, no."

"Weapon system engaged!"

"Go to fail-safe!"

"Fail-safe not responding. There's a problem with the neural blocker! Her connection's way too strong!"

* * *

conn pod

 _Fully charged._

"Mako! Mako, listen to me. This is just a memory. None of it is real."

* * *

command center

"The power line! The power line! Get the main power line!" Tendo and Herc ignore the fleeing screamers. "Take them offline! Take them offline!"

* * *

conn pod

 _Weapon system disengaged._

"Mako!"

 _Neural bridge exercise invalid._

"It's okay. It's okay."

 _Drift sequence terminated. Would you like to try again?_

I run into the conn pod. "Mako?" I kneel beside her. "Mako, it's all right." I turn to Raleigh. "I know trauma better than most medics, because my guardian had PTSD, and I do too since Chicago. I need you to tell me what you saw."

"Her family… she lost her family to Onibaba. Stacker—he raised her—trained her."

I nod before glancing down, not really noticing that I'm in Gipsy Danger herself. "Like Ratch did me, after LA…"

"LA?"

I nod. "I ran away from an abusive family, and took my dad's car. I stayed with a boy named Sam for two days, before the Autobots arrived on Earth and took me in. I—wow, so much happened there… we lost Jazz—torn in half by Megs… Bee's legs got blown off… Ratch and Hide both got hurt by Screamer… Optimus couldn't even _stand_ at one point—but we still ended Megatron and saved the day. The Autobots took me in, and in two months, I was training with Ratchet." I can feel a tear roll down my cheek at the memory. "Oh, Aid… We could really use ya now…"

"Who's he?"

"One of the Protectobots. He trained me, at the beginning. I was too… untrained, to be in the medical bay, and too small to risk it, plus, I've got a Praxian frame—er, doorwings—so…"

"It wasn't safe."

I shake my head. "No…" I look up at him. "They're a gestalt, Rals—a combiner team. They died, two months after I joined the 'bots. I'd been on a mission with Optimus, and…" I stand with a sigh. I've lost it enough on Raleigh. "Take her down and watch a movie or something, but don't let her get worked up. We may need you two."

* * *

hong kong Bone slums

Newt is walking through the streets of China, looking for the symbol: a dragon with whiskers. "Hmm…Hello." He smiles and walks into the building.

"Pss, pss." Newt turns to a man behind a counter. "You looking for some Kaiju bone powder?"

"Some…? Some bone…? Some bone powder? Uh, no, why would I want that?"

"Male potency." The man grunts. "I take it myself."

"I see. Uh, no, thank you. I'm looking for Hannibal Chau."

"Come. You want Chau, huh? Good luck."

* * *

They lead him behind a shelf, and into a room filled with people working on different parts from a kaiju. Tools are whirring everywhere. Newt is going mad. "Oh, my God! Oh, my God,

this place is heaven! That's a lymph gland from a Category 2!" He moves to another table, where they have a cuticle. "And what are you working on here? Is this a cuticle? In mint condition?" At a third table, a man is holding a cat-sized bug. "Is that a Kaiju skin parasite? I've never seen them alive before! They usually die as soon as the Kaiju falls! I thought you couldn't keep them alive!"

"You can if you soak them in ammonia." He turns to see a man with gold on his shoes, spurs, and a switchblade slinging around in his hand. "What do you want?"

"I'm looking for Hannibal Chau. I was told he was here."

The man turns to him. "Who wants to know?"

"I really can't say." The man puts the knife in his nose, causing him to scream. "Stacker Pentecost sent me!" He groans, and grabs his nose. "Oh, that's great. That's real great. So I take it you're Hannibal Chau, right?"

"You like the name? I took it from my favorite historical character and my second-favorite Szechuan restaurant in Brooklyn. Now tell me what you want before I gut you like a pig and feed you to the skin louse."

* * *

Shatterdome dorms, hallway

Chuck, angry, and Herc are talking with Stacker in his room before waiting for him. " _She can't control her Drift, and he went out of phase first!_ "

" _We all know what happened._ "

" _We can't afford mistakes. The Kaiju keep evolving, they keep kicking our asses! He's a has-been, she's a rookie. I don't want them protecting my bomb run, sir._ "

" _You need to watch your tone, Mr. Hansen._ "

Herc sighs as they step out, and he moves to go with Stacker, telling his kid to wait for him. "Hey, stay there. Give me a moment."

The moment his father is away, Chuck verbally attacks Raleigh and Mako. "You two are a goddamn disgrace. You're gonna get us all killed, and here's the thing, _Raleigh_ : I want to come back from this mission because I quite like my life. So why don't you just do us all a favor and disappear? It's the only thing you're good at."

"Stop! Now!"

"Yeah, that's right. You just hold back your little girlfriend. One of you bitches needs a leash."

"Apologize to her."

"Screw you."

Raleigh lunges at him. "I said apologize to her."

Herc and Stacker to pull the two apart. "Hey, hey! Enough!"

"What's going on?"

"On your feet, both of you!" Stacker steps over. "Becket, Mori, into my office."

"No, we aren't finished!"

"This is over!"

"You're a ranger, for chrissake. Why don't you start acting like one?"

* * *

stacker's office

"I went out of phase first. It was my mistake."

"No."

"It was my mistake."

"I should have never let you two in the same machine."

"So, what? You're grounding us?"

"Not you." Stacker nods toward Mako.

"Permission to be dismissed, sir."

"Permission granted, Miss Mori."

"Mako." Raleigh sighs and watches her. "Sir, what are you doing? She is the strongest candidate by far. What other options do we have?" He follows Stacker, trying to get him to listen to reason. "Huh? Tell me!"

"Do not let my calm demeanor fool you _ranger_! Now is not a good moment for your insubordination! Mako is too inexperienced to rein in her memories during combat."

"That's not why you grounded her. I was in her memories. I saw everything. I don't care what you think you saw. I know what she means to you. I saw it! Hey! Hey!"

"This conversation is over." Stacker starts to walk away.

"Marshal. Marshal, can we just talk about this…" He grabs Stacker's hand. "for one second? You rescued her. You raised her. You're not protecting her now. You are holding her back."

"One: Don't you ever touch me again. Two: Don't you ever touch me again." He turns to Raleigh. "Now, you have no idea who the hell I am or where I've come from and I'm not about to tell you my whole life story. All I need to be to you and everybody on this dome is a fixed point. The last man standing. I do not need your sympathy or your admiration. All I need is your compliance and your fighting skills. And if I can't get that then you can go back to the wall that I found you crawling on. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good."


	7. Shatterdome Part 4

I have a poll on my profile page asking a question I really want to have answered. I'm trying to get as many answers as I can, and very few people visit my profile. I've gotten literally one answer in a week, and that's sad. Please answer, and be honest about it.

* * *

 **I only own my OC's!**

* * *

Shatterdome Part 4

Raleigh steps into the cafeteria with his tray, only for everyone to glare at him. He sighs before walking over to sit on the side of the platform facing Gipsy Danger, only to find Mako sitting there. They eat for a moment before Raleigh sighs. "I'm sorry. I should've warned you. First Drifts are rough. But you weren't just tapping into my memories you were tapping into my brother's too. When Yancy was taken, we were still connected. I felt his fear, his pain, his helplessness…" He sighs. "…and then…he was gone."

"I felt it. I know."

"You know, you live in someone else's head for so long…the hardest part to deal with…

I step up behind them with my tray. "Is the silence." I smile down at them weakly. "Mind if I sit with you?"

"Go ahead." He turns back to Mako. "To let someone else in,

to really connect…you have to trust them. And today the Drift was strong."

"Sheyenne, how would you know what he was going to say?"

"I've… _seen_ …the bots, after bonds broke, Mako. It…it wasn't pretty…"

She nods, turning to look at Gipsy's reactor, and changes the subject. "Her heart. When's the last time you saw it?"

"Not in a long time."

* * *

Alone

I wait until they leave before turning to stare up at Gipsy, thinking back sadly to the days when we still had gestalts. " _ **You weren't telling the whole truth.**_ "

"I did." I sigh. "Well, as much as they needed to hear. Some of it's still…secret."

" _ **I saw your past…when you were inside me. You had it hard, but you still fight for good.**_ "

"Raleigh lost his brother."

" **I** _ **lost his brother…Starlight.**_ "

I look down. "Please…please don't call me that…I can't…"

" _ **It was his name for you, wasn't it?**_ "

"Yes."

" _ **Who were the giants?**_ "

"They're called gestalts, or combiner t-teams." I take a deep breath, and let it out shakily. "They were Superion and…and Defensor. First Aid…was a part of them…" I sigh sadly. "Gips… Please, don't make me talk about this…about them…"

" _ **I'm sorry…**_ "

"You're fine. You didn't know." I sigh softly. "You didn't know…how close I was to them…Gips…I was _all but_ a part of Defensor. The only thing missing was the spark bond, so I didn't feel it _physically_ when they died—like you and Rals did with Yancy—but…but I still feel it, emotionally…"

" _ **Like you did with Ratchet?**_ "

"Yeah…" I sigh heavily. "I became a Ranger after we lost them, Gips. I'd gone into it solely for medicine—to be a field medic—but…but I went… _crazy_ …after they died, and I became just the mech I was mourning—the one who had come back, then disappeared…their brawler…their right arm…" I sigh heavily. "Blades…" I turn away so as to not fall off the platform as I pull my knees to my chest and bury my face into them, trying not to cry. " _Oh, Blades_."

" _ **Hey, hey. It's all right.**_ "

"No it's not. They're all gone. All but me and Bee!"

" _ **You know that's not true. What about—**_ "

I pop my head up. "Sigma." I turn to Gipsy. "The drift was still active, when I ran inside."

" _ **Only with me. Raleigh and Mako were separated.**_ "

"So they don't know."

" _ **No. Who is Sigma?**_ "

"Rescue team. Optimus said Heatwave…Chase…Boulder…"

" _ **Blades?**_ "

"Could be a different one. They're on an island, out of the war zone."

" _ **You need to see. Shey, it could be him.**_ "

"And it might not. I'm almost sure there was more than one "Blades" on Cybertron, Gips."

" _ **Almost isn't exact.**_ "

"Good point." I stand with a sigh. "Guess I'm going to Griffin Rock when this is all over."

* * *

command center

Tendo is walking up to the computers with four cups of coffee and two donuts, when the AI starts speaking.

 _Movement in the Breach. Double event. Two signatures. Dilation indicator, Category 4._

* * *

Raleigh slips through the crowd in front of Tendo. "Excuse me."

"Breach was exposed at 2300 hours. We have two signatures, both Category 4s. Code names: Otachi and Leatherback. They'll reach Hong Kong within the hour."

Stacker steps up to address the teams. "Evacuate the city. Shut down the bridges. I want every single civilian in a refuge right now. Crimson Typhoon… Chemo Alpha… I want you to frontline the harbor. Stay on the miracle mile. Striker, I want you to stay back, look after the coastline. We cannot afford to lose you, so only engage as a final option."

"Yes, sir!"

He turns to Raleigh and Mako. "You two. You stay put. Let's go!"

* * *

" _Loccent, Striker's got the ball and we're on the roll._ "

" _Loccent near positions and awaiting your orders._ "

"Remain in the miracle mile. Engage at your discretion."

"Guys, keep your eyes open. These Category 4s are the biggest we've ever seen, both in size and weight.

" _Cherno Alpha reaching target zone. Disengaging transport._ "

" _Cherno Alpha in position. Miracle mile. Chemo Alpha holding the coastline. Beacon is on._ "

* * *

with newt

Newt and Hannibal are watching the Kaiju cultists as they move toward the coast to worship the approaching beasts. "Look at them. They believe the Kaiju were sent from heaven. That the gods are expressing their displeasure with our behavior. The silly bastards."

"And what do you believe?"

"Well, I believe that Kaiju bone powder is 500 bucks a pound. What do you want?"

"I need to access a Kaiju brain. Completely intact."

"No, no. The skull plate is so dense that by the time you drill into it… The brain's rotted away."

"But I'm talking about the secondary brain. Now we both know that the Kaiju are so large they need two brains to move around, like a dinosaur. I want to get my hands on that."

"Mm." He turns to glare at Newt. "What the hell do you want

a secondary brain for, anyway? I mean, every part of the Kaiju sells. Cartilage, spleen, liver. Even the crap! One cubic meter of crap has enough phosphorous in it to fertilize a whole field! But the brain… Too much ammonia." He huffs. "So, what's the deal, little fella?"

"Well, that's classified. So I couldn't tell you. Even if I wanted to."

"Mm."

"But it is pretty cool. So might tell you." He thinks for about a second. "I'm gonna tell you. I figured out how to Drift with a Kaiju."

"Are you funning me, son?"

"It's fascinating how their minds work. Every single Kaiju his mind's connected. The species has, like… Like a hive mind."

"Holy jeez. You've gone and done it, haven't you?"

"I did it a little bit, yeah."

"You goddamn moron."

* * *

Shatterdome

Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon are in trouble, and Striker Eureka can only watch as the two start to fall.

" _Loccent! Typhoon and Alpha are in trouble. We're moving in!_ "

"You are to hold your ground. Do not engage. We need you to carry that bomb. Do you copy?"

" _Jesus, we can't just sit here and watch them die. Come on! Screw this. Loccent, we're moving in now!_ "

" _We've been hit with some type of acid!_ "

" _Come on!_ "

Aleksis is panicking over the comm. " _Hull has been compromised. We need backup immediately!_ "

" _Just hold on, Chemo! We're on our way!_ "

" _Our power move! Yeah!_ "

Sasha and Aleksis gasp and try to scream as their conn pod fills with water, and they drown. Tendo sighs sadly. "We just lost Chemo, sir."

As they watch, Crimson's pilots become crushed, and get impaled by the thing's tail.

"Engaging air missiles!" The kaiju they're attacking employs a natural EMP, shutting Striker Eureka down and shocking the two connected to him."

Gottlieb steps over. "What's going on? What happened?"

"The blast. It jumbled all the Jaegers' electrical circuits. What the hell was that?"

"I've never seen that before."

* * *

FIELD

"Loccent!"

* * *

Shatterdome

Gottlieb sighs. "They're adapting. This isn't a defense mechanism, it's a weapon!"

Stacker turns to Tendo. "Get me Striker."

"Nothing, sir. The Mark 5's digital's fried. It'll take me two hours to reroute the auxiliary."

Stacker's starting to get upset. "All the Jaegers, they're digital!"

Raleigh steps up, with me and Mako behind him, my earlier sadness long past in the face of adversity. "Not all of them, marshal. Gipsy's analog. Nuclear."

* * *

hong kong city

"We got two Kaijus. We gotta get out. This way."

Newt pushes his way to the workers. "Hang on a second. Excuse me. What's going on?"

Hannibal scowls. "There are two goddamn Kaiju headed straight for Hong Kong City."

"No, that's not possible. There's never been two before."

"Well, maybe that's because nobody ever Drifted with one before, eh? Genius! When Jaeger pilots Drift, it's a two-way street. A bridge, right? It sets up a connection. Both ways! "A hive mentality," _you said_! Maybe those Kaiju are trying to find you."

"Well, what're we gonna do?"

"I'm gonna wait out this shitstorm in my own private Kaiju bunker. But you are going to a public refuge. I tried it once." Hannibal flips his eye patch up, revealing a scar. "Once. Now get the hell out of here."

His workers cock their guns and aim at him, causing him to back away. The alarms wail, and you can hear the kaijus' calls as they near the city. "Move! Move! I'm a doctor! I'm a doctor! Okay, hold on. Let me in. Okay, I'm a doctor. Okay, let me in, I'm a doctor."

* * *

Field

Herc sighs, flipping the switches to no avail. "There's no emergency power."

Chuck huffs. "We gotta bail."

"I'm gonna try something else." Herc detaches and steps around to the flare guns.

"No! Don't disengage!"

The kaiju slams into them, causing Herc to slam into the wall, hard. "My arm!"

He falls, causing Chuck to help him up. "Come on! Get on your feet, old man!"

"Don't call me that!"

Chuck starts to panic. "He's right outside. We gotta get out of here now!"

"We're not going anywhere! Now you and I are the only thing standing between that ugly bastard and a city of 10 million people. Now we have a choice here. We either sit and wait or we take these flare guns and do something really stupid."

* * *

The two climb out of the top of Striker Eureka with two of the flare guns. "How's your arm?"

"Ah, just give me the gun." Herc takes the gun in his good arm and aims up at the beast with his son. "Hey, you!"

The hit it in one of it's four eyes, causing it to roar in anger and pain. "I think we just pissed it off!"

"All right, Mako. Get ready, this is for real!"

The two notice Gipsy being flown in. "Yeah!"

"Come on, Gipsy! Kick his ass!"

"Come on! Let's do this! Together!"

"Elbow rocket!"

 _Elbow rocket engaged._

Raleigh's calling the shots. "Now!" The kaiju—Leatherback—slams Gipsy back onto the port, until they wind up stepping on a semi. "Hang on, Mako!

"Plasma cannon, now!"

 _Plasma cannon engaged._

They fire several rounds of plasma at the beast. "Empty the clip! Empty the clip!" They groan, and turn to walk away before glancing back. "Wait. I think this guy's dead. But let's check for a pulse."

"Okay." They empty the _other_ clip into the beast. "No pulse."

* * *

shelter

The people in the shelter are talking fearfully as they crowd together underground. As the kaiju gets closer, they fall quiet, and listen to the beast above-ground, and screams in the distance.

It stops above them, and everyone gasps in fear. "He stopped right above us." Newt starts to panic. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God. This isn't a refuge. This is a buffet line!" Everyone gasps at another thump. "He knows I'm here. He knows I'm here!"

A woman turns to him. "Shh. He knows we're all here."

"No, you don't understand, he's trying to get me! He knows I'm here!" She speaks their language, causing people to back away from him. "What was she saying?" He looks up. "I gotta get out of here! Let me out of here!" They knock off his glasses in their panic. "Oh, come on! Those were expensive glasses." He starts patting around on the ground, searching for them. "This is the worst." The Kaiju—Otachi—tears through the ground and into the bunker. Gipsy pulls it out before beating it with the boat several times. Otachi takes the boat and throws it away.

 _Torque engaged._

"I can't pinpoint it. It's moving quick. Keep your eyes open. Choppers, do you have a visual? Over."

Otachi appears, cuts into their back, and wraps her tail around Gipsy's arm before trying to clasp at the conn pod. "Come on!"

"I'll hold it! Vent the coolant on the left flank!"

 _Coolant venting._

Mako nods. "Venting coolant."

The two then rip out her tongue, causing her to fly the two into the air.

 _Atmosphere loss in progress._

"Temperature's dropping! We're losing oxygen! Both plasma cannons are shot. We're out of options, Mako."

Mako shakes her head. They still have one option—a chain sword.

 _Sword deployment._

They solidify the sword, and cut through Otachi from neck to legs, killing her mid-flight.

 _Altitude actuation off-balance. 50,000 feet to ground contact._

* * *

Shatterdome

"Look, there!"

"Shit."

"Sheyenne?"

"They gotta do something, or they're dead."

* * *

Gipsy danger

 _Altitude loss critical. 40,000 feet._

" _Gipsy, listen to me! Loosen all the shock absorbers, use your gyroscope as balance and ball up! It's your only chance!_ "

 _20,000 feet._

* * *

Shatterdome

"It's not their only option, Stacker. There's always another way."

"They could die otherwise. You just said that."

"Raleigh's too stubborn to die, and I think Mako is too."

* * *

gipsy danger

"Fuel purge! Now!" They release some of the fuel, which pushes them higher and gives them a few more seconds to think.

 _Impact alert._

"We're coming in too fast. We're coming in too fast! Brace for it, Mako!" They hit hard, sending up a large cloud and setting off several car alarms as they come to a stop several yards away. "Mako, talk to me. Mako, you okay?"

She nods, smiling and laughing. "You?"

He nods, laughing with her.

* * *

shatterdome

Stacker turns to Gottlieb as I laugh for the first time since Ratchet died. "Go to Dr. Geiszler now!"

"Yes, sir!"

Stacker turns to Tendo. "I want the two remaining Jaegers back to 100 percent functionality."

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

Hong Kong City

"We're gonna harvest the skin, the talons and the wing. Germans are gonna go nuts for that stuff. Let me see that map." Hannibal points to a place on a map someone else is holding in front of him. "Here is where the Kaiju fell, here's where we concentrate our efforts."

"We'll get it, boss."

"Right."

"Hey!"

Hannibal stops in his tracks. "Okay."

"Guess who's back, you one-eyed bitch?" He pauses. "And you owe me a Kaiju brain."

* * *

shatterdome

The crowd cheers as Raleigh and Mako step in. Herc steps over to them with a smile. "Raleigh! My kid'd never admit it, but he's grateful. We both are."

Stacker steps into the room. "Mr. Becket! Miss Mori! In all of my years fighting, I've _never_ seen anything like that. Well done. Proud of you. Proud of us all." He sighs. "But, as harsh as it sounds, there is no time to celebrate. We lost two crews. No time to grieve. Reset that clock." Mako touches her nose as the crowd starts murmuring. Stacker is bleeding. He touches his nose, sees the blood, and pulls out his handkerchief before holding it over his nose. "Reset the clock."

* * *

Hong Kong city

"I still can't believe what you did to me. I mean, I could have been eaten."

Hannibal scoffs. "Well, that was definitely the plan. Lucky for you, that didn't become necessary, huh?"

"Thank you so much, you're so kind. I really appreciate all of this. But now do you mind telling me, exactly what is taking so long, for your workers to get that brain?"

"Well, they pump the cavity full of CO2, just like in any other laparoscopic surgery."

"Okay, yes, obviously." He nods. "The CO2's gonna delay the acidic reaction, yes."

"And it allows us to harvest. But our boys need oxygen pumped into their suits. They move slow." He holds up a radio. "What's going on in there, boys?"

" _We've reach the upper pelvic area. Unh. Moving to the 25th vertebra. Shit. Even through the suit, boss, it smells like dead catfish in here._ " They reach the secondary brain, to find it ruined. " _Boss. The secondary brain is damage._ "

"Aw."

" _It's ruin._ "

"Bitch! How could they screw that up?"

"Wait. Wait."

"What was that?" Newt grabs the radio from Hannibal. "Did he say "wait"? Why wait?"

Hannibal turns to him. "Do you hear that?"

He freezes. "It's like a heartbeat." He gapes. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God, this can't be." Hannibal reaches for his radio. "Hold on a second."

"Hey! Let me have that!"

"Shh, shh! Listen, listen! Listen to this." The two listen to what is unmistakably a heartbeat. "It's pregnant."

* * *

inside Kaiju

The fetus opens it's eyes, causing the men in suits to scream and run out, the fetus following them, umbilical cord following behind it, only to choke on it and fall. "No, no! Please."

"I knew it." Hannibal throws his knife into the fetus. "Unh. Gone. His lungs weren't fully formed. Umbilical cord tied around his neck. No way he could survive outside the womb for more than a minute. One look, that's all I needed. I knew he wouldn't make it." He pulls his knife out and wipes it off. "Ugly little bastard. Anyway, I would—" The fetus—er, baby—comes alive again and eats Hannibal head-first before passing out again.

* * *

shatterdome bathroom

Stacker steps into the bathroom to clean up, Raleigh following. "How sick are you?" He sighs. "And why didn't you tell me?"

"Uh… What's to tell?" He sighs. "You know, them Mark 1s, we scraped them bad boys together in 14 months. Last thing we were thinking about was radiation shielding. I ran nearly a dozen missions. I stayed under the medical radar for a while but the last time I jockeyed was in Tokyo. I finished the fight solo, but for three hours, I burned. They warned me if I ever stepped foot into a Jaeger again, the toll would be too much." He turns to Raleigh. "You and I are the only two that ever ran solo combat. That's why I brought you here."

Raleigh steps over to me. "Did you know Stacker was sick?"

"Radiation sickness, severe." I sigh heavily. "Yeah. Where do you think he gets his meds, you moron?" I shake my head. "The bots have around 14 rads after going into space, so I saw it a lot with the soldiers, especially in those first few years. Aid and I—we had a method we used to handle it. Primus, I wish he was here… I can't do this alone…"

"Shey…"

"Don't, Rals. I'm fine."

"But you just…" He sighs. "You sound like I felt, right after I lost Yancy."

"No bonds means no risk of death. _I'm fine_." I storm away, but not before flinging the plastic wrench at him, nailing him on the head.

"You're not fine."


	8. Shatterdome Part 5

I only own my OC's!

* * *

This one leads into "Griffin Rock", which leads into "Mourning". Last part of _Shatterdome!_

* * *

Shatterdome Part 5

The computer beeps. "What is it?"

"Sir, it's happening. I just got two signatures with

unprecedented dilation, 40-meter spikes."

"What category?"

"Checking the ratios, Category 4."

"Where're they headed?"

"That's the thing, they're not heading anywhere. They're hovering just above the Breach. It's like they're protecting it or something."

"All right, Gipsy, Striker on deck."

"Sir, Herc cannot ride. His arm…"

"You heard me."

* * *

HONG KONG

Gottlieb is on his phone as Newt works to get the brain spike in. "Two signatures. Two? There are two Kaiju signatures in the Breach, not three like I predicted!"

"Hermann! I haven't exactly had a very good day, okay? I got about 5 minutes…"

"Should be three Kaijus."

"…before brain death occurs here! I don't wanna spend it talking about your theories!"

"This is all wrong! There should be three Kaijus coming through, not two!"

"There should be three and there's two? I'm sorry, it hurts to be wrong."

"I am not wrong, but there is something here we don't understand."

"Hopefully we can argue about any mistakes you made in your predictive model in the future! But in the meantime, the neural interface is way off the charts!" He finally gets the brain spike into the baby kaiju. "If you want to help, help with that!"

"Newton, I am not wrong." There is only one way

to make sure and that is to do this…" He lays a hand on Newt. "…together. I'll go with you. That's what the Jaeger pilots do, share the neural load."

"You're serious? You would do that for me?" He sighs. "Or you would do that with me?"

"Well, with worldwide destruction a certain alternative…do I really have a choice?"

"Then say it with me, my man: "We're gonna own this bad boy!""

"By Jove, we are going to own this thing for sure!"

Newt laughs.

* * *

SHATTERDOME

"Sir, I have to advise against this."

"I accept the advice, Princess, but no. I'd—"

"Rather die in a jaeger. I understand. I'd rather have gone with Ratchet, but I didn't. You've got to be hurting for Tamsin, but I still advise you not go. I can go."

"You've never drifted before. I have."

"But sir…" I sigh heavily. I really don't want to do this. "I can pull rank on you, as CMO."

"Don't, Sheyenne. It won't do any good." Herc sighs. "His mind's made up."

* * *

Chuck runs over to Tendo. "Oi, Tendo. Tendo!"

"You're not suited up."

"Yeah, I'm aware of that, Elvis. I need to know what's going on."

"He said suit up, so suit up."

"Tendo, I can't pilot Striker on my own, now, can I? Dad's hurt, so who's gonna be my copilot?"

The door opens, and Stacker walks through with Herc beside him. "I don't remember it being so tight."

Mako glares at him before following as he walks off. "Getting back into that Jaeger will kill you."

" _Mako_ …" I run after her and lean over to whisper into her ear. "I already tried, Sister. He won't hear it."

"Not getting into one would kill us all." He turns to her and lays a hand on her shoulder. "Listen…you are a brave girl. I'm so lucky to have seen you grow. But if I'm going to do this…I need you to protect me." A tear rolls down Mako's cheek. "Can you do that?"

"You can. I'll back you up on that. You're a survivor."

Mako nods, smiling sadly through the tears.

"Right." He turns to the group. "Everyone! Listen up!" Stacker steps onto a jaeger foot. "Today…today… At the edge of our hope… At the end of our time… We have chosen not only to believe in ourselves, but in each other." I whisper the words with him, quietly, and to myself. I have seen few people, even among the Cybertronians, with this kind of wisdom and bravery, and it makes me…hopeful. "Today there's not… A man nor woman in here that shall stand alone. Not today. Today we face the monsters that are at our door… And bring the fight to them! Today we are canceling the apocalypse!"

Everyone cheers, and I step up beside him. "I may not be a commander at this base, but as a Princess and Sergeant, I feel I must add something to this—something my own mentor said when we took on something of this magnitude." I lay a hand on Stacker's shoulder. "We don't know how today will end, but in the name of freedom, _we take the battle to them_. Now let's roll!"

Everyone runs off to get the jaegers ready, while Chuck suits up.

* * *

Chuck runs up to Stacker. "Hey, marshal! You know, that was a great speech, but how exactly are you and I supposed to match up in there?"

"I carry nothing into the Drift. No memories, no fear. No rank." He turns to Chuck. "And as for you…well, you're easy. You're an egotistical jerk with daddy issues. A simple puzzle I solved on day one." Chuck's dog barks. "But you are your father's son, so we'll Drift just fine."

"Works for me." Stacker walks away, and Chuck turns to his Dad.

"Hey, now." Chuck looks down. "When you Drift with someone you feel like there's nothing to talk about. I just don't want to regret all the things that I never said out loud."

"Don't." Chuck sighs. "You don't need to. I know them all. I always have." His dog barks at his feet. "Hey. Hey, handsome." The dog whines. "Oh, I'm gonna miss you." He turns to his Dad. "You look after him for me."

Herc turns to Stacker. "Stacker. That's my son you got there. _My son_."

* * *

I sigh, and pat the foot of the jaeger—Gipsy Danger. I know she won't be coming back this time, and I want to say my goodbyes this time. "I'm gonna miss you, Girl. See you on the other side, Superstar." I pat the leg lovingly. "Say hi to Defensor for me."

* * *

INSIDE GIPSY DANGER

Raleigh gets Gipsy set to leave. "You know, Mako, all those years I spent living in the past, I never really thought about the future." Raleigh sighs. "Until now." He laughs nervously. "I never did have very good timing."

I watch them go through the drop before the copter takes off with them.

* * *

HONG KONG

Newt picks up the controls for the pons the two are wearing. "You ready for this?"

"Oh, yes, yes."

"Initiating neural handshake in five…four…three…two…one." The two start to shudder. "Are you okay?"

Gottlieb detaches the pons from his head. His nose is bleeding. "Yes, of course. I'm completely fine." He runs to an abandoned toilet and pukes, Newt following with a handkerchief. "The Drift. You saw it?"

"Yeah."

"Did you?"

"Listen, we have to warn them. The Jaegers… The Breach… The plan…"

"It's not going to work."

* * *

SHATTERDOME

"Disengaging transport."

* * *

FIELD

Chuck speaks up first. "Loccent, all ports sealed. Ready to submerge."

Raleigh's next. "All ports sealed. Ready to submerge."

* * *

SHATTERDOME

"Both neural handshakes at 100 percent."

"Neural handshake confirmed, sir. Two actives still in circle formation in the Guam quadrant. Code names: Scunner, Raiju. Both Category 4."

* * *

FIELD, STRIKER

"Roger that. Half a mile to the ocean cliff, we jump!

It's 3000 meters to the Breach."

"Half a mile? I can't even see a damn inch ahead! How are we supposed to deliver the bomb?"

* * *

FIELD, GIPSY

"Visibility's zero. Switching to instruments now."

* * *

SHATTERDOME

"Sir!"

"Gipsy, you have movement on your right. Three o'clock! Three o'clock!"

* * *

FIELD, GIPSY

 _100-feet radius clear._

Raleigh sighs. "Right flank's clear. I got nothing."

" _Left now! And moving fast! Fastest Kaiju on record!_ "

The kaiju squawks. "I don't see anything. It's moving too fast!"

Chuck comes over their comms. " _Eyes on the prize, Gipsy._ " They take the jump off the shelf. " _400 meters and closing._ "

Tendo comes over the comms. " _Bogeys are stopping._ "

" _Striker! Bogeys are stopping. One o'clock._ "

* * *

FIELD, STRIKER

Stacker stops in his tracks. "Marshal, what are you doing?"

"They're stopping. Why the hell are they stopping?"

"I don't give a damn, sir! We're 300 meters from the jump!"

"Something's not right!"

" _Striker, the bogeys aren't following. Take the leap now._ "

* * *

SHATTERDOME

Newt runs in. "Don't do it! Don't do it! It's not gonna work! Move, you fascist! Blowing up the Breach, it's not gonna work!"

" _What do you mean? What's not gonna work?_ "

Gottlieb takes the mic. "Sir, Just because the Breach is open does not mean you're able to get a bomb through. The Breach genetically reads the Kaiju like a barcode at the supermarket and then lets them pass."

Newt takes another turn at the mic. "You're gonna have to fool the Breach into thinking that you have the same code!"

" _And how are we supposed to do that?_ "

Newt comes back on. "By making it think you are a Kaiju." "You have to lock onto the Kaiju, ride it into the Breach. The Throat will then read the Kaiju's genetic code and let you pass."

"If you don't do it the bomb will deflect off the Breach like it always has, and the mission will fail."

Herc takes his place back at the mic. "All right. Now that you've heard all that, Striker, take the leap!"

"Sir! I have a third signature emerging from the Breach!"

Herc is horrified. "Third signature emerging from the Breach."

"It's a triple event."

"Oh, God, I was right."

" _How big is it? What category?_ "

"Category 5."

"Striker…it's a Category 5. The first ever."

* * *

FIELD, GIPSY

The kaiju rears up and roars. Striker pulls out their weapons and prepares to fight.

"Striker, we see him. We're right behind you about 100 meters. We're gonna come around your 3 o'clock, try to flank him. Standard two-team formation. Just keep him busy for a few—" Raiju attacks, and they start fighting him off, leaving Striker to fend for themselves.

* * *

STRIKER

"Brace for impact!" Striker slams back into a rock face, jamming the bomb's path.

* * *

GIPSY

 _Chain sword deployed._

Raleigh yells as they attack one of the two category 4 kaiju with their sword, stabbing it in the head. They glance to one side and find a hot vent. "Let's get this son of a bitch!" They move the kaiju there and roast it. It throws them around before getting free. The arm Raleigh controls is now gone.

" _Gipsy, coming up on your 12 o'clock! Full speed!_ _Get out of the way!_ "

They force the chain sword out, and start cutting at the throat, cutting the kaiju completely in half as it swims.

* * *

STRIKER

"The release is jammed! We can't deliver the payload, sir! We're still armed. But the hull is compromised! Half our systems are offline, sir."

"We need to override the—"

The two are attacked by the remaining category 4. They stab it as much as they can in an attempt to break free, get to their feet, and attack with both arms, all but cutting the beast's arms off in the process. It calls for help, bringing the category 5: Slattern.

* * *

SHATTERDOME

"Both Kaijus converging on Striker fast!"

* * *

FIELD, GIPSY

Gipsy hobbles along on one wounded leg, trying to help them. "Hang on, Striker! We 're coming to you!"

Stacker comes over the comms. " _No! Gipsy! Do not come to our aid! Do you copy?_ "

"Hang on!"

" _Stay as far back as you can!_ "

"We can still reach you. We're coming for you."

" _No, Raleigh, listen to me. You know exactly what you have to do! Gipsy is nuclear! Take her to the Breach!_ "

"I hear you, sir. Heading for the Breach."

 _Structural damage…_

"Now."

 _…eighty percent._

"Unh."

" _Mako. Listen. You can finish this. I'll always be here for you. You can always find me in the Drift._ "

"We're a walking nuclear reactor. We can destroy the Breach."

* * *

STRIKER

"What can we do, sir?"

"We can clear a path! For the lady!"

* * *

SHATTERDOME

"They're gonna detonate the payload."

* * *

FIELD, STRIKER

"Well, my father always said: If you have the shot, you take it! So let's do this!" He turns to Stacker. "It was a pleasure, sir." With that, they atomize Striker Eureka. Fish hit the seafloor from the nuclear energy, as the remaining jaeger pilots brace for impact and try to remain in the drift, and do so successfully.

* * *

WITH ME, SHATTERDOME FLOOR

"Striker…" No one deserves to die like that…

* * *

GIPSY DANGER

The two stand, re-brace, and stand again.

 _All systems critical. Fluid loss._

"Systems are critical! Fuel is leaking! Our right leg's crippled!"

 _Code red._

"Let's finish this."

 _All systems critical._

* * *

SHATTERDOME

"What are they doing?"

"Finishing the mission."

Raleigh comes over the comm. " _Loccent. We have the Kaiju carcass. We're heading for the Breach. You guys better be right. Because one way or another we 're getting this thing done._ "

* * *

FIELD, GIPSY

Slattern roars. "On my count, rear jets! Three…two…one. Now!" Slattern screaches. "Hold on." Slattern screeches in pain.

* * *

SHATTERDOME

"Mako's oxygen is down. Half capacity!"

"Can you reroute it?"

"I'm trying, sir."

* * *

FIELD, GIPSY

Raleigh sighs. "Hold on, Mako."

 _Heat shaft purge._

"I'm gonna burn this son of a bitch."

They tackle Slattern into the breach, dead.

* * *

SHATTERDOME

"They're in."

"They're in!"

"It worked."

* * *

BREACH, GIPSY

They pull their sword out of Slattern.

 _Oxygen main left hemisphere, critical levels. Operating at fifteen percent capacity. Ten percent capacity. Five percent._

Raleigh detaches his oxygen and hooks it to Mako's suit.

* * *

SHATTERDOME

"He's giving her his oxygen."

* * *

BREACH, GIPSY

"It's okay now, Mako. We did it. I can finish this alone. All I have to do is fall. Anyone can fall."

* * *

SHATTERDOME

"Raleigh your oxygen levels are critical now. You don't have much time. Start the core meltdown and get out of there. Do you hear me? Get out of there now!"

"One pod is ejected. No detonation, sir."

* * *

BREACH, GIPSY

"Loccent, if you can still hear me…I'm initiating reactor override now."

 _Manual activation required._

* * *

SHATTERDOME

"What's going on?"

"Trigger's offline! He has to do it by hand."

"He's out of time. He has to self-destruct now."

* * *

BREACH, GIPSY

 _Manual activation required._

"No!" Raleigh yells as he slips and almost falls into the gears.

"Manual override initiated. Core meltdown in T-minus 60."

 _Reactor meltdown in 55 seconds. Fifty seconds._

The precursors chitter in surprise.

 _Evac pod engaged._

 _Five…four…three…two…one. Reactor meltdown._

At that, Gipsy Danger, goes nuclear.

* * *

SHATTERDOME

I hit my knees in the background, a hand over my chest. I form family bonds very easily—I always have—and she was alive—like family to me, for the very short time I'd known her…

"Direct hit! The Breach has collapsed!"

Everyone cheers in joy, not noticing me.

Herc starts screaming to the crews. "To the choppers! To the choppers now!"

"Visuals on first pod. Tracking solid. Vital signs are good."

* * *

MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN

Mako's pod pops out of the ocean. She opens her pod and starts looking around anxiously for Raleigh.

* * *

SHATTERDOME

"Okay, where's the second pod?"

"I'm tracking it, but I'm getting no vital signs."

* * *

MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN

Mako stands, looking for Raleigh's pod. Raleigh's pod pops up out of the ocean behind her. Mako dives in, swims over, and opens it before pulling off his helmet and checking for a pulse.

* * *

SHATTERDOME

" _I can't find his pulse. I don't think he's breathing._ "

I stagger to my feet and rush over to them. " _Shit_."

"Can you read his pulse?" Tendo shakes his head. "Does he have a pulse?"

" _Raleigh?_ "

Tendo sighs. "Mako, listen to me. It could be the sensors are networking. We can't be sure."

* * *

MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN

Mako starts sobbing. "No." She pulls Raleigh into her arms. "No. Don't go. Please."

" _Mako._ "

"Don't go."

" _Mako._ "

"No. Don't go. Please."

Raleigh finally comes around. "You're squeezing me too tight." He coughs, and she lets him go. "I couldn't breathe."

Mako laughs.

* * *

SHATTERDOME

Everyone starts cheering and applauding. Our heroes are alive. Herc comes over the comms. "This is Marshal Hercules Hansen. The Breach is sealed. Stop the clock!"

Chuck's dog barks in joy as everyone starts cheering again.

* * *

MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN

" _Mako, Raleigh. We have your position. The choppers are on their way. Just hang on._ " The sound of choppers fills the sky, but the two are too busy kissing to notice. " _Are you okay? Do you copy? Uh, guys?_ "

* * *

SHATTERDOME

The second the two are back, I run over and hug them, not caring about getting wet. "Thank the All Spark!"

"Hey."

"Glad you guys made it back. You had me scared."

Raleigh smirks. "Had us scared to." He sighs. "So, what's your plan now?"

"I'll finish out my tour here, then I'm going to look for the Rescue Bots."

"The who?"

"It was Gipsy's idea. You?"

Raleigh takes Mako's hand in his. "We don't know yet."

"But...let us know, what you find?"

"Of course. You're my family now."


	9. Kaiju

I have a poll on my profile page asking a question I really want to have answered. I'm trying to get as many answers as I can, and very few people visit my profile. I've gotten literally one answer in a week, and that's sad. Please answer, and be honest about it.

* * *

 **I only own my OC's!**

 **Reposted because of an added scene with Heatwave!**

* * *

Kaiju!

five months later, mid-october

Charlie and Chase were nice enough to pick me up from the Ferry. I stagger out of the Mustang Enforcer with my luggage, and barely have the chance to put it down before I'm tackled by a now-thirteen-year-old Cody. "You're home!"

I laugh softly. "Yeah, and I'm tired and sore, so it may be a good idea to let me go before you knock me over."

He steps back. "Sorry."

I ruffle his hair. "Don't be. You're just happy to see me." I smile. "How's my favorite Cousin?"

"You missed my birthday."

I sigh heavily. "Sorry, Kiddo. The breach re-opened. I've been dealing with medical—" I sigh heavily, almost bordering on growling. "And non-medical—chaos in Hong Kong for the last five months."

Chase transforms and looks down at me. "But you were gone for seven months."

Blades steps over. "What's the Breach?"

"I know, and it doesn't matter, Blades. I need to get back to my normal, EMS persona now. I'm not a soldier here."

* * *

upstairs, my room

I change into my usual EMS uniform: a baby pink collared shirt, dark pink uniform pants, and a pink sweatshirt, with pink socks and dark pink tennis shoes. Yes, like my fatigues, it's still all pink, but right now, I'd rather wear it than my fatigues. I guess it's just the relief of being in relative civvies again. I sigh when I hear a knock on the door, and turn to see Cody. "Come on in."

Cody sighs. "I just wanted to know if you wanted to come see a movie with us."

"What?"

"We're going to the drive-in."

"Oh. Sure! Just let me grab my jacket!"

* * *

"Seriously!?"

"What's wrong?"

I sigh at Graham before glaring at Kade. "I just told you all the Breach re-opened not two hours ago, and you take me to a Kaiju movie!?" I scoff. "Seriously!?"

A kaiju roars on screen, and some dramatic music plays. "Will someone please explain to me why we have to watch some silly monster movie at the drive-in? It is freezing outside."

"Excuse me. Attack of Humungado is not just any silly monster movie. It's a kaiju classic. Which means it was made to be seen in a drive-in. Big screen, lots of snacks and no talking!"

"For the love of Primus, Kade. It's a _kaiju_. I'd like to see what _you're_ like after you've _faced_ one of them."

"You've faced them?"

"Not yet, but I've been training to, and I've seen the pilots after they come back. They're never the same again."

Cody sighs, shrugging off our discussion. "Nothing better than movie popcorn."

"Just be sure none of it falls under my seat."

I shake my head, trying my best not to laugh at the cranky-bot. "Oh, Heatwave…"

"Sometimes old technology is the best. Watching on film, run through a projector…"

"Yep. Makes you feel connected with the movie's history."

"Ha, ha, ha. Ancient history. Look at how fake the monsters look. I've cleaned scarier stuff off of my windshield." Humungado then roars right at the watching audience, causing Blades to scream.

"Pfft! Blades is lucky he doesn't have to go toe to toe with Humungado. His yellow belly would be the perfect target for a fireball."

"My belly's not yellow!" Blades scoffs. "It's sky blue, thank you very much."

"Blades, I'm telling you this because I love you. He's calling you a coward."

"But the—" He clams up.

I turn to the dash. "Blades?"

"It's nothing…"

"Sounds like a whole lot of something, Buddy…" I sigh softly and pat the dash gently. "But we'll cover this later, okay?" I try to turn my attention to the movie, but find myself distracted by a faint hitching sound—almost like Blades is…crying…

"Guys, If you all don't stop bickering, you're gonna miss the movie."

Chase huffs. "I, for one, have already lost the story's subtext."

* * *

"Mr. Bunty? Can we get some popcorn down here?"

Mr. Bunty leaves the projection booth and goes down to concessions. While he's gone, a breeze knocks a cardboard cutout onto the projector, and it catches fire. "Extra butter for an extra special movie." He sniffs, then gasps.

* * *

Outside, the movie screen has gone white, causing everyone to look around in shock.

"Hey! What happened to the picture?"

"Fire! Rescue Team, Let's move."

We rush over quickly, sirens blaring. "Everyone, please exit the outdoor cinema in an orderly fashion." Chase leads the evacuation of the projection booth and concession stand, while Heatwave and Kade work to put out the fire.

"Mr. Bunty is still inside the projection booth."

"Fire Bot, transform and give me a lift to the window."

Kade climbs in from Heatwave's hand and looks around for Mr. Bunty. "Kade! Over here!"

Kade sighs. "Hold on! Unh!" He pushes the projector aside.

"Oh."

Dani and I step over, and put our arms around Mr. Bunty before leading him to Blades. "Come on, Mr. Bunty, we'll get you to a doctor."

* * *

The next morning finds all of us working to restore the damaged building. "Hard to tell there was even a fire. Good work, Cody."

"All right, ready for the roof." Blades and Dani put the roof on, and Kade and Graham work to secure it as Cody and I finish painting with Charlie.

"Thank you. The old girl's never looked better." He turns to the broken projector. "Wish I could say the same for my projector."

"Sorry, Mr. Bunty. Constructing a film projector from scratch is a little outside our wheelhouse."

Doc Greene drives up in his Hummer, with a trailer holding some fancy projector behind him. "But not mine. I've brought a little gift." He smiles. "Using the same technology as the imaging chamber, I've created a holomorphic projector. It recalibrates the polarized light from any regular two-dimensional movie, converts it using the holo-lens Trademark pending and Voila. A holographic movie."

Cody smiles. "You mean the monsters can stomp around in the audience?"

Frankie nods. "They'll look close enough to grab your popcorn."

"Sweet." Kade turns to him. "Hey, Doc, if I can find another print of Humungado, do you think we can screen it?"

"Indubitably. And it will look more life-like than you could ever imagine."

* * *

That Night

Mr. Bunty and Kade are in the projection booth, testing the new holo-projector. "As soon as I get this reel threaded, we'll test Doc's new hologram lens for tomorrow's grand reopening."

"I knew we could count on our fellow Humungadorks. Tracked down this new print in no time. They threw in the sequels for nothing."

"Hm. Exactly what they're worth." He turns to Kade with a smile. "Ready?"

They start the movie, only for Kade to decide he wants nachos. "Wait. Cannot watch kaiju without nachos del Kade."

"Hurry. You're missing Rayvenous." He turns the knob as Kade settles beside him. "And now holographic Rayvenous."

"Wow."

"Noble." The power surges, the light bulb above their heads busts, and Kade looks up nervously. "Oops." They look out to find the screen dark, right after Ravenous had come out. "Uh-oh."

"Oh, now look what you've done. You blew a fuse."

Kade shrugs, and reaches into his nachos. "It's not a total loss." He sticks a chip into his mouth and slurps. "Mmm. Are those nachos, or are those nachos?"

* * *

firehouse

Kade's so excited when he joins us at breakfast the next morning. "I'm telling you, guys, you missed out. The monster looked so real, it was like it was right there in front of you."

Dani scoffs. "Thanks, I've had all I can take of movie monsters for a while."

Kade scoffs. "You just don't like any movie without kissing or stunt flying. And don't forget cute little animals."

Dani crosses her arms. "What's more awesome than bunnies singing show tunes?"

"Chipmunks singing rock." I sigh heavily and push my chair back. "For some reason, Blades has been a mess and a half since I got back from the shatterdome this time, so I'm going down to—"

The phone rings, and Charlie steps over to answer it. "Griffin Rock Emergency. A what? All right, Mayor, we'll be right there." He hangs up the phone and turns to us. "A monster's munching the Mayor's mansion. And, no, I will not repeat that." He sighs. "Probably another raccoon, but let's go check it out. Cody, command center."

I slide down the fire pole and climb into Blades before patting the console. "You okay?"

"Yeah…"

"No you're not. Talk to me, Blades."

"It's…personal."

"I'll bet. You remind me of someone I don't need to think of." I sigh. "But I'll be here, when you're ready."

"Rescue Bots, roll to the rescue."

* * *

Mayor's Mansion

We pull up and climb out to stare up at the Mayor's mansion, dumbfounded. "Huh? That-That—That's Rayvenous."

"Really?"

Dani scoffs. "But how can a monster from a movie be running loose in Griffin Rock?"

Charlie gives the two of us a look. "Is there any other place that could happen?"

Kade shakes his head. "It must have something to do with Doc's holomorphic projector."

"Whatever its origins, we have to bring it down immediately."

""Have to" is a strong phrase. Why don't we just let it fly away? Maybe to another island, where we _aren't_?"

"Don't worry, I got this, blue belly."

"I told you, it's sky blue."

" _Heatwave_ …" I sigh heavily before patting Blades on the leg gently. "It'll be all right. I'm here."

Then the kaiju flies _through_ the mayor's fountain and underground. "As if it couldn't get any creepier."

"We'll need to go after him. Cody, can you find a map of the tunnels under the Mayor's house?"

"Checking the database."

"Or we could not follow a creepy monster into a deep dark tunnel. I'm just saying, we have options."

"You'd never last at the shatterdome, buddy." I chuckle. "I'm surprised _I've_ lasted at the shatterdome, to be honest."

* * *

Underground, With me, Blades, and Dani

"No one ever wants to listen to the options."

"And that's okay, Blades."

"In the movie, Rayvenous's eyes are his weak spot. Hit him with a beam of light. It temporarily knocks him out."

Charlie nods from his place inside Chase. "All right, Team. Let's split up. We'll each take a quadrant."

"Let's go this way, Dani."

"I'm with you."

Blades wanders around for a while before glancing into a small pool. After seeing Rayvenous' reflection, he looks up. "And, wouldn't you know, we're the ones to find Mr. Creepy." I sigh heavily. "Well, at least I'm _used to_ kaiju…"

"Uh Good Rayvenous. Good creepy thingy."

It pushes us against the wall and starts licking Blades' windshield. Dani screams, while I gasp and try not to flash back to my time in Gipsy's conn pod, lack of kaiju at the time or not. "Uh, guys? Found our monster."

"And he's eating me! Aah! Help!"

That helps. "He's not eating you, Blades. He's licking you. There's a difference." I smile. "And thank you. Can't reign in memories without combat."

"Combat? What?"

"Later. Get this thing off so Blades stops panicking."

Heatwave steps over and sighs. "What was it you were saying before, Blades? About picking scary stuff off your windshield?"

The kaiju comes right back for Blades. "Why me every time? There are others in the room, you know." Chase blinds the kaiju, and we all stare at the downed monster.

Charlie sighs. "Cody, call up Doc Greene and tell him to meet us at the drive-in. Let him know we've got a movie monster who's ready to go home."

Kade huffs. "Now, what were you saying about _combat_?"

"I'm a Ranger, Kade. Just got back from kaiju fiascos, now in kaiju fiascos again. I'm also in training to be a jaeger pilot. They have to be able to control their memories so they can have that neural bridge, and control the machine together."

Kade nods. "Got it."

Heatwave, on the other hand, looks more confused. "Excuse me?"

"It's kind of like becoming gestalt, Heatwave, only you're still human. I'm getting ready for _that_. This…this mission, while scary for me…it'll help me in the future."

"And you're fighting these…things?"

"Yes." I sigh heavily when I get the looks from all of them. "You're on the Atlantic. You wouldn't know about them."

* * *

drive-in theater

Doc Greene's waiting at the drive-in when we get there. "I believe a power fluctuation caused the lens' photonic component to overload. The surge of energy turned the hologram of Rayvenous into a solid creature, an embodiment of the movie monster, Complete with the original's instincts."

"Doc, how do we send it back?"

Frankie smiles. "Daddy and I hooked up a dynama-pak to duplicate the conditions of the power surge. When the power reaches critical level, we'll reverse polarity."

Doc Green nods and continues. "Which should return the solid creature to its holographic state, which we can then send back into any moment of the movie. Like so." The knob falls off. "Oh, dear. That wasn't in the plan."

Charlie starts looking around on the ground. "Find it! Quickly!"

"It's under the—"

"Uh-oh. That music usually means—"

Humungado comes out of the screen, causing me to sigh. I really should have just grabbed the thing from under the Hummer.

"Guess what we're doing tonight."

Instantly, the thing starts attacking the Rescue Bots and us. "Whoa!"

"Watch out!"

"Take cover!"

Now that all of us humans are hiding, the Rescue Bots take control of the situation—or at least, they try. "Fictional beast, you are resisting an officer of the law." Chase gets thrown into a building.

Heatwave and Blades try to hold him down. "I got him! I got him!" He throws first Blades, then Heatwave. "I don't got him."

Boulder grabs Humungado's tail and tries First Aid's tactic on him. "All right, big fella. Time to settle down." He gets thrown into a building. "Aah!"

Kade has _no_ sympathy, while I'm glad he doesn't have doorwings. "Meant to tell you, B. Watch out for his tail."

" _Thanks_."

The kaiju starts for downtown. "We can't let him reach downtown." Charlie turns to Doc Greene. "Doc, we need to go after Humungado. Can you handle Rayvenous? Now that he's caged, he shouldn't be any trouble."

"Of course, Chief. And once I've fixed the projector, I'll send him straight back into his movie."

* * *

ocean shore

I'm once again in Blades, but my fear of heights doesn't affect me during a mission. "Blades, can you snag him with your winch?"

"I caught him! Now what do I do?"

The kaiju swings us around. "Aah!"

"Blades, release!"

He wanders off with the winch cable, and starts to breathe fire at a billboard. Cody gasps from inside Heatwave. "Whoa! Humungado must really hate dinosaurs." He shrugs. "Or billboards."

Kade sighs. "Dinos. Everybody knows that. From the second sequel, where Humungado and Rayvenous team up to fight the Supersaurus."

"That's it."

"Kade, you're a genius."

"Yeah. But why now especially?"

"Dad, if the Bots turn Dino, maybe Humungado will go after them and not the town."

"It's worth a try." Charlie looks around from his place inside Chase. "No one on the streets, so Rescue Bots, mind going prehistoric?"

Heatwave agrees instantly. "You heard him. Let's let Big Scaly know the Dino Bots are back in town."

They shift to dino mode and roar, causing Humungado to roar back at them. We manage to chase him to the ocean shore, and Chase shocks the water with his taser—now in his tail—while Heatwave sprays water at the kaiju. These guys really need weapons! This is getting far too familiar to me now—just like when Rals and Mako saved everyone. "It's working."

"Hope Doc's having better luck than we are."

* * *

drive-in

"That should do it. Now to send Rayvenous back onto celluloid where he belongs."

"The sooner the better, Daddy. I don't think he likes being cooped up."

Rayvenous screeches. "Just a little more power, and we'll be able to reverse polarity."

Rayvenous breaks free and ices the Hummer. "Look out!"

"Aah!" The two dive behind the iced hummer.

* * *

ocean shore

"What was that? Sounds like Rayvenous's homing call." Humungado roars. "Humungado must still want a piece of him."

"Then why not give old Fire Breath the opportunity? Use Rayvenous as bait."

Chase smiles as well as he can in dino mode. "A sound strategy."

Dani smiles at me. "Lead Humungado straight to the outdoor cinema And send him back into the movie."

"Movie? Try blockbuster."

Chase huffs. "And the two differ how?"

Charlie sighs. "Enough to give those two something to fight about." He calls Doc Greene. "Doc, how's it going with Rayvenous?"

* * *

"Well, we've had a bit of a complication. Rayvenous has broken free and is— Whoa! Making rather a nuisance of himself."

Frankie grabs the phone. "I don't suppose you could come and Get us out of here!"

" _Frankie, are you near the jeep?_ "

"It's not really in driving condition."

" _No, the lights. It'll take him down. Aim at his eyes._ "

She aims the lights at the kaiju, and he goes down. "Apparently, all it requires is a light touch."

"Nice going, Daddy."

* * *

with Dani, blades, and me

" _Thanks, Cody. Dani, Blades, you two pick up Rayvenous. We'll hold Humungado here until you return._ "

Blades sighs. "Of course. Because Rayvenous and I get along so well."

Heatwave growls. " _Oh, stop complaining. He's just another piece of cargo._ "

"Mm-hmm."

I pat the console. "Hey. We got this. You've got a seasoned professional with ya."

We send the winch down and snag the box and kaiju together before flying back to them, only to get groused at by Heatwave and Kade. " _About time._ "

" _Seriously._ "

" _Dani, we'll meet you back at the drive-in. And stay outside the city. This guy's not in a good mood._ "

Dani smirks. "Thanks for the advice, guys."

Blades would be if he was in bot-form. "Think we can handle it."

"That's my Blades!"

" _Have Dani drop Rayvenous directly in front of the screen._ "

"You heard him, Dani."

"Almost there, Blades. Just stay a little ahead of him."

"Easy for you to say." We get hit with a burst of flames from Humungado. "Ow! Your rear end is not on fire."

"We're hit."

"We're going down." Blades transforms and lands on his rear end.

"Blades! Dani! Shey!" Dani and I climb out. "Talk to me! Are you okay?"

Dani sighs over her brothers' and father's behavior. "I'm fine, I'm fine."

"I'm good." I laugh. "Takes me back to watching Gipsy Danger. God, I wonder how they're doing right now…"

Blades sighs. "He barely missed my swashplate." We turn to the box to find the kaiju cargo has broken open again. "Rayvenous is loose again."

Kade nods. "That's good. They'll keep each other busy fighting."

Heatwave turns to Doc Greene and nods. "Doc, roll 'em to the rescue."

Doc Greene nods back. "Just another few minutes."

"Um, I thought you said they'd fight each other."

"He also said they teamed up to fight the Supersaurus."

"And the Rhinoctopus."

"And now, apparently, us."

"So before when Humungado was attacking the box Rayvenous was in, he was trying to free him? These guys are…friends? No way. That just…" Kade taps his chin. "Makes a lot of sense, actually."

Chase, as usual, has to comment. "And we are their common enemy."

Doc Greene turns to Charlie. "Chief, you have to keep them contained within the holographic field."

Blades…reminds me of someone from the past, and I have to look away. "Okay, spike gut, enough is enough. I've had it with you." The thing breathes fire at him. "Aah!"

I laugh from my hiding place—laughing to keep from crying. He just reminded me of the Protectobot Blades.

Heatwave steps over and sprays his mouth with water. "Don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything."

Frankie grins. "Ready, daddy."

"We only have one shot at this. We need both creatures inside the field."

"Where's Blades?"

"Blades is…" I look up and roll my eyes. "Playing cowboy in the air."

They all look up to find what I had—Blades is riding Rayvenous. "Whoo-hoo! Hyah! Yee-haw!" Rayvenous screeches.

We finally get the two inside, and Kade cheers. "Now, that's what the sequel should've looked like. Ha!"

Charlie turns to Doc Greene. "Ah, I think maybe you'd better retire that lens, Doc."

Dani smiles. "Or only use it on cute little animal movies."

Kade's too involved in what he's learned. "Humungado and Rayvenous, friends. This adds a whole new layer of meaning. I'll have to rewatch the entire series."

Chase turns to him. "But the two creatures fight as well. How can they be friends?"

Blades smiles. "Just like a few humans I know. Not mentioning any names." He does anyway. "Dani and Kade."

Dani glares up at him. "Us? How about you and Heatwave?"

Blades turns to Heatwave. "Oh, Heatwave and I don't—"

Heatwave turns to Blades. "We don't—" He sighs when I glare up at them. "Actually, I guess we do."

"Yeah, you're right."

Kade smiles and crosses his arms. "Okay, tomorrow night, we screen Humungado and all the sequels, this time without Doc's special lens. Who's up for it?" We walk away. "I guess I'll call Bunty.

* * *

the next night

Kade smiles around at us. "Thanks, guys. It means a lot more with all of you here."

"That's what family does."

Dani rubs her arms. "We can still complain too, right? 'Cause it hasn't gotten any warmer."

Blades whines. "And where are the cute little animals? Heatwave, you told me—"

"I'm right here, Blades. You're not alone." I have some new theories about him now. That stall-out when we were talking about cowardice…the way he was riding that kaiju earlier…and the way he sounded, talking with Dani and facing those kaiju…he reminded me of— " _Blades_!"

"What?"

"Nothing…" I rub my arm. "Actually… Can we talk, alone, after we're home?"

"Sure."

* * *

Blades' berth room

"Star? What did you need?"

I step over in bot form, and settle on his bed with a sigh. "This isn't going to be an easy talk for me, and maybe for you, Blades, but… Did you ever know the Protectobots?"

"I…" He looks nervous for some reason.

"Blades…"

He turns away. "I don't want to talk about it…"

"Blades…you can't just…ignore this…and just…cover it up…"

" _Starlight_ …" He sighs heavily. "I knew them, _okay_? Does that make you happy?"

"You…you reminded me of them today…" I look down at my lap. "By the end of the mission, I was about to cry…just because…I miss them…"

"I do too…" He gets this really horrified look on his face. "I mean—um…" He looks down.

"Of course you would, everyone loved them…I was all but their sister, though…and…" I whimper softly. "And I feel like…like I lost a part of me." I glare up at him. "Don't you dare tell Heatwave I said that. If he were to hear…" I look at my hands. "That I was almost gestalt for real…"

"He'd never leave us alone."

' _Us?_ ' I look up, trying to reign in the hope I know is flaring in my eyes. "Blades, you just said _us_. _Are you_ a Protectobot? Are you really… _that_ _Blades_?"

"Do you really wanna know?"

" _Yes_."

"I am." He turns away. "I didn't want you…to watch me fade away…like you had to watch Prowl…"

"Blades…" I shake my head before hugging him. "Hey, it's okay. I'm here. Little sister's still here. You're not alone anymore. Just let it out."

We both turn at a knock on the door. " _Blades? Are you okay in there?_ "

Blades shakes his head before starting to cry into my shoulder. "He's not, really, but I got him, Wave."

He opens the door and peeks inside. "Was this because I made him go to the movie?" I shake my head. "The taunting? Because I wasn't being serious out there…" I shake my head. "Then it's—you _know_."

"Just found out…" I sigh softly. "He's been through a lot, hasn't he?"

"Yeah…" He closes the door before stepping over to us and laying a hand on the sobbing helicopter's back. "Can't you…do something for him?"

"If I did, it would royally screw up your cover, not to mention…Cemetery Wind…" I choke back a sob of my own. "I can't lose you guys too…and I can't…lose them again…" I take a couple deep breaths to calm down. "It could be worse on Blades if I did it now, Wave…but God, I want to…so bad…"

"You'll be able to, someday."

"Every day, the chance that I could goes down, Wave. I'm only guaranteed up to a day…"

He lays a hand on my back. "We'll figure it out. I…I don't want to lose him, either." He turns to Blades with a sigh. "At least he's got you now." I look up to him. "I heard. Almost their sister… No wonder you were crying…"

"It was over Ratchet, but…it didn't help matters…being here, with you guys, and being reminded in everything I do…about them…" I sigh heavily. "Don't tell the Burns. I will, when I'm ready. They wouldn't understand, anyway—not without a lot of explanation."

"Got it." He nods down to Blades. "If you've got this, I'm going to go warm up some energon for us." He sighs. "It's gonna be a long night. Hope you're ready, 'cause I'm not letting you leave him until he's okay."

"All right." I smile. "And I am. Medic's honor."

I've still been wearing black when I'm not in uniform, but not anymore—I'm still mourning, but…not as many people as I'd thought. I change into a white cap sleeve T-shirt with "I'm always Modest, that's what makes me better than everyone else" written in pink camo and pink camouflage pajama pants, then pull on a fluffy burgundy robe and matching slippers, then return to the room with a mug of chai tea with sugar.

* * *

Heatwave and I run into each other in the hall on the way back. "Where did you go?"

"To get changed and grab some tea. I'm not staying in uniform. I'm not on duty tonight. Charlie is." I hold up my mug. "See?"

"You're not wearing black."

"My robe isn't black."

"Under it. I can see your pants."

"I don't have as much to mourn, Wave… _we still have Blades_ …"

"Star…" He leans down to me. "It means that much to you?"

"Yes. You remember my breakdown…it was all them… I just wanted to hide the Defensor thing… Ratchet hit me harder, but Defensor… Heatwave, I lost _myself_ when I lost them. I came back to myself here."

He smiles. "Good." He pushes the door open. "Now come on. He needs us."

"Right behind you."


End file.
